One of the most challenging tasks for an author in the process of publishing a book is probably choosing the title. In the prologue of this book, author Chang Young-hee reveals that she spent a long time contemplating the title of her work.

  The title The Miracle of Living and the Miracle of Continuing to Live was also that of the first essay she wrote when she began contributing to Ssaemteo magazine in January 2007 after completing her battle with cancer. The title reflects the idea that simply surviving each day through suffering is itself a miracle, more than anything else. Yet, even after the book was published, she confessed that she still felt some lingering attachment to the title. The struggle of thinking, "I need to come up with a brilliant title that no one else has thought of," is likely a common concern for many writers just before publication.

  There’s a saying, "Writing reflects the person." Among the various literary genres, essays particularly highlight this characteristic. When reading an essay, the author's personality, areas of interest, and attitude toward life are often revealed. In this book, it is evident that the author views things with an extremely positive perspective.

  The positive attitude toward life in this book is particularly pronounced when it comes to how she views herself rather than others. In the essay titled "Count Your Blessings," which is included in this book, the author's optimistic nature is clearly visible. In an interview with a magazine, she agreed to participate on the condition that the focus would be on "just the person Jang Young-hee, the literature teacher." However, the published article bore the title "Professor Jang Young-hee: The Symbol of Hope in Our Time, Who Overcame the Burden of Life with Physical Disability." Upon seeing this, she felt deeply uncomfortable. Despite being a person with a first-degree physical disability and battling cancer, she had never considered her life to be a "burden." She goes on to quote the English proverb "Count your blessings," listing the blessings she has received in life, and asserts that her life is far from a "burden" but rather a life full of "heavenly grace."

  In the essay "I Am Beautiful," she describes her experience of hair loss during chemotherapy, and how, once the treatment ended, her hair grew back soft like baby bird feathers, making her appreciate her beauty anew. This illustrates how she did not despair over her difficult circumstances but rather overcame them with a positive outlook.

  She attributes the formation of her positive character to memories from her childhood. One day, when she finished school early and was sitting alone in front of her house, a ggaeyeot or Korean sesame taffy stick vendor gave her two pieces of ggaeyeot stick and said, "It's okay." These words stayed with her, leading her to believe that the world is full of good friends, goodwill, love, forgiveness, and generosity, just like the phrase "It's okay." Whenever she feels that life is tough or that her efforts are in vain, she hears a small whisper in her heart: "It's okay! Just hold on a little longer. Everything will be fine."

  As a professor, her positive attitude is well illustrated in the first essay of the book, "Starting Again." When her completed dissertation was stolen while she was in the United States, she fell into deep despair but heard a voice deep within her saying, "It’s okay, you can start over. You can do it." She rewrote the dissertation and completed it a year later. She shares this experience with students who failed to gain admission to university, advising them, "Though life is short, a year is well worth investing to learn how to start again."

  In another essay, "The Kneeling Tree," she encourages her students to maintain a positive attitude toward life. She tells her beloved student, "Min-sook," who had gone through a divorce after five years of marriage, about trees at the 3,000-meter elevation line in the Rocky Mountains. These trees, unable to grow straight due to blizzards, appear as though they are kneeling, but the world’s finest violins, known for their resonance, are made from these kneeling trees. She tells the student, "You are practicing to play even more beautiful melodies with your share of happiness, so hold on just a little longer."

  In the epilogue, she questions, "Did I speak too grandly about hope?" The answer is no. Overcoming physical disabilities and battling cancer are not easy tasks by any means. Just as a mouse in a jar with light lives two weeks longer than one in the dark, the power of hope can even extend life.

   Professor Chang Young-hee, who was both a first-degree physically disabled person and a scholar, passed away on May 9th, 2009, at the age of 57. However, the message of hope she left behind continues to live on, giving courage to rise again to those weary under the weight of life.