[A Short Story from My Heart] The Weight of a Small White Shell
Young Choi, Professor of Regent University
At dusk, Monterey Bay grew more honest than it had been in the day. As the light faded, things seemed to show their true faces. The water settled into a dark hush, and the sea, as if relieved of its long keeping, began to let out the thoughts it had held all day.
Ramon crouched low between the rocks, his hand working slowly beneath the surface. His touch was careful, though it carried the memory of many such searches. He seemed a man looking for something—though he could not have rightly said what.
Behind him sat his young daughter, Maria.
She did not speak, but her eyes followed the quiet movements of his hand.
“Father, what are you looking for today?”
Ramon paused a moment.
“Well… just something that ought to be there.”
It was the kind of answer that did not explain itself, and asked not to be followed.
Then it came.
Beneath his fingers, something firm and smooth met his touch.
He drew it up gently.
It was a small white shell.
It did not shine like a pearl, yet it held a stillness that caught the eye and would not easily let it go.
Maria’s eyes widened.
“It’s beautiful.”
Ramon said nothing.
He only looked at it for a long while.
The shell was small and seemed of little worth.
Yet in his hand, it felt strangely heavy.
He did not put it in his pocket.
Instead, he lowered it back into the water.
Maria stared, surprised.
“Why did you throw it away?”
Ramon looked out over the water.
The sea gave no answer.
“Just because you can take a thing… don’t mean you have to.”
His voice was low and steady.
The sun slipped away, and the sea lay quiet as black glass.
They walked home with nothing in their hands.
Yet from that day on, Maria saw the sea differently.
And Ramon—
that evening, at last,
he understood what it was he had been looking for. +++
April 22, 2026
At Sungsunjae (崇善齋)
{Solti}
한국어 번역: 작고 하얀 조개의 무게
https://www.ktown1st.com/blog/VALover/349127
Young Choi, PhD is a Professor at Regent University bringing a rare combination of technical expertise and creative spirit to everything he does. A scholar in AI, cybersecurity, network and telecommunications service management, he has published 37 books including AI and cybersecurity area books, over 200 refereed articles, over 20 book chapters. Beyond the academy, Dr. Choi is a passionate poet, essayist, and wooden block engraving artist whose reflective writing invites readers to rediscover life’s beauty in quiet contemplation. He lives under the motto: “Study hard and give generously without holding back! (열심히 공부해서 아낌없이 남주자 !)”
Published books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Young-Choi/author/B0DMZ5S6R7?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true