Eun Seo-Ran, 44, from South Korea, has never received the slightest gratitude for witnessing her mother sacrifice herself to take care of her father's family since she was a child.
She made up her mind early on that she would never follow her mother's old path and would never get married and have children in her life.
（Eun Seo-Ran）
Many people dread dying alone, but Eun Seo-Ran has no worries because she met a like-minded best friend, Lee Eo-Rie, 38.
The two have similar hobbies, complementary personalities, and neither plan to get married, so in order to have someone to take care of each other in their old age, they form a small "family" by themselves, share housework, share finances, and live happily.
However, a few years ago, when Eun Seo-Ran fell ill and was hospitalized, and Lee Eo-Rie did not have the right to sign the medical consent form, they realized that they were not legal dependents and their rights were finally restricted.
So they made the unusual decision to have Eun Seo-Ran, who was a few years older, adopt Lee Eo-Rie as a legitimate family......
（图左：Lee Eo-Rie；图右：Eun Seo-Ran）
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Eun Seo-Ran's choice is inseparable from the influence of the original family.
She grew up in a typical patriarchal family, where her father went out to work, while her mother became a housewife who took care of her own family while serving her mother-in-law's family.
According to traditional Korean Xi, ancestor worship ceremonies are held on many days, such as holidays and birthdays of deceased relatives. At this time, the women of the family have to prepare food for several days, which is a huge and hard work.
Eun Seo-Ran's mother prepares countless ancestral rituals every year and serves her husband's family for decades, yet he never shows the slightest gratitude to her.
Because she didn't want her daughter to become like herself, her mother didn't let Eun Seo-Ran into the kitchen since she was a child, and kept telling her to maintain her freedom.
It just so happened that Eun Seo-Ran also had this intention, witnessing what happened to her mother over the years, she lost her illusions about marriage early and made up her mind not to get married and have children.
It's just that she also paid a lot of price in order to stick to this decision......
（Eun Seo-Ran）
Suffering from chronic eczema and wanting to be close to nature, Eun Seo-Ran moved to a distant village on his own.
In South Korea, unmarried women who live alone are inevitably haunted by gossip, and are often urged and reprimanded by strangers.
In the village of Eun Seo-Ran, there are always people who scold her for being single and "go against the natural development of the world", and they endlessly arrange blind dates for her and persuade her to marry local men, which causes her great trouble.
What's more, her life is also at risk.
There is a stereotype of women who live alone, and they are more open to sexuality, so their homes are 11 times more likely to be broken into by strangers.
Eun Seo-Ran had a similar experience, once in the middle of the night, his home was suddenly broken into by a drunken landlord.
Eventually, she moved to the Jeolla countryside in 2016. And this decision led her to meet Lee Eo-Rie, who was crucial to her life.
(Eun Seo-Ran和Lee Eo-rie)
Shortly after moving to Jeolla, Eun Seo-Ran met Lee Eo-Rie, who lives next door, who is a few years younger and lives alone.
They find that they have a lot in common, such as wanting to escape the city, both like plants, vegetarian food, and DIY, and they complement each other very well, Eun Seo-Ran is sensitive, and Lee Eo-Rie is easy-going and chic.
And most importantly, they have all decided to stay single, and when it comes to their ideal happy old age, they also feel that living with like-minded friends is one of the best ways.
（Eun Seo-Ran）
The two soon became good friends, had dinner together every day, and about a year later, their relationship took to the next level and they began to live together.
This is a good choice for single women, which increases the sense of security and reduces gossip from the outside world. Eun Seo-Ran and Lee Eo-Rie also get along well, they respect each other's Xi, and their lives are happy and peaceful.
Gradually, Eun Seo-Ran came to believe that true family members are people who can share each other's lives, respect each other, and be loyal to each other, regardless of blood or marriage.
She and Lee Eo-Rie are just friends, but they share household chores, finances, and care for each other.
A few years later, the two decided to buy a property together, intending to stay together until their old age, but Eun Seo-Ran's illness shattered their illusions about the future......
（Eun Seo-Ran）
Eun Seo-Ran was hospitalized several times due to chronic headaches and other health problems, and it was then that she realized that she and Lee Eo-Rie were not legal relatives and were not allowed to sign each other's medical consent forms under Korean law.
"We have been helping and protecting each other for many years. But when we needed each other the most, we were just strangers. ”
Not only that, but they are also denied all other benefits available to married couples or families, including housing subsidies and tax breaks.
But Eun Seo-Ran and Lee Eo-Rie want equal legal protection and rights, hoping that in the future, if one of them is sick, the other party will be able to take family care leave, or if one of them dies, the other party will be able to organize her funeral without going through a series of red tape.
So they set out to study family law. Blood relationship is not to be thought about, and it is impossible to get married, because they are not a couple, and even if they are, same-sex marriage is not recognized in South Korea at present.
After thinking about it, they were left with only one choice – adult adoption. Adopted by the slightly older Eun Seo-Ran, Lee Eo-Rie under the adoption year.
(Eun Seo-Ran wrote the story of his best friend in the book, which has been published this year)
Oddly enough, under South Korean law, unmarried people who want to adopt a child have to go through a very rigorous review based on factors such as age, financial stability, and parenting environment, and it is often difficult to obtain court approval.
But it's much easier for an adult to adopt an adult younger than himself.
Eun Seo-Ran only needs to do three things, first, prove that she is older than Lee Eo-Rie, second, get her mother's consent, and third, prove that Lee Eo-Rie is not her biological child.
It's just that it sounds a little strange that good friends who are a few years apart suddenly become a mother-daughter relationship...... But they can only take advantage of this legal loophole.
On May 25, 2022, Eun Seo-Ran and Lee Eo-Rie held each other's hands tightly and walked into the local administrative office to hand in the adoption papers.
Just 24 hours later, they were approved and officially became "mother and daughter" and became a family.
（Eun Seo-Ran出了书）
Eun Seo-Ran then wrote this unusual story into a book, which caused quite a stir in society after its publication.
Many people wrote to her to tell her that they and their friends were considering following suit, but there were also many who criticized and objected......
Thankfully, both Eun Seo-Ran and Lee Eo-Rie's families have shown their support.
Especially Eun Seo-Ran's mother. In the past, she always hoped that her daughter could get married, but she was worried that after she died, her daughter would be left alone......
But seeing that her daughter is so happy now and has started her own family, she feels very relieved, and jokes: "Now I have a granddaughter." He also told his daughter: "You don't have to say anything in the world of accidents at all, you just need to enjoy life to the fullest." ”
(Eun Seo-Ran和Lee Eo-rie)
Now, it has been a year and a half since Eun Seo-Ran adopted Lee Eo-Rie, and they have been following their hearts and enjoying life as Eun Seo-Ran's mother instructed.
Every morning around 7 a.m., Eun Seo-Ran would get up and make two cups of tea for himself and Lee Eo-Rie to start the day, after which the two would stay in different rooms and work.
At noon, they would cook a lunch and watch their favorite TV series while eating, and the room would soon be filled with laughter.
In the evening, they would have dinner and do chores together. Xi yoga before bed, chat about friends and work, and a peaceful day is over.
Living with good sisters all their lives, such a life makes both of them very satisfied.