“Once you smell a flower, you become a flower person”

A Catholic nun who sings of a small hope

Short essay collection in celebration of 60th year of becoming a nun

Sister Lee Hae-in, one of the greatest poets of our time, published Precious Treasures, a collection of stories that range over 60 years from 1964 when she first entered the convent to 2024, from Gimm-Young Publishers. The book tells the story of the nun—from her mother’s letter to a postcard from death row, from her diary entry when she took the first vow to a poem she wrote to sending off her friend nun, from the quaint convent garden to the church where she gathered her hand to smooth her heart, and from passionate camellia flowers to ever-green pine trees.

Precious Treasures is a collection of Sister Lee Hae-in’s short writings, columns, and ten new poems as she organized her thoughts throughout the twilight of her life journey. It features the heart-warming memories of those who have gone to heaven, including an anecdote with monk Beopjeong, a letter from Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan, and a calligraphy by Dr. Shin Young-bok. The book also shares Sister Lee’s conversations with people of all generations, from teenage elementary school students to older adults in their 90s, the joys and sorrows she shared with the communities of nuns and readers, and the truths told by exchanging thousands of letters and small gifts. Photographer Melmel Chung, known for depicting beautiful lights and shadows for his subjects, accompanied Sister Lee from November 2022 to April 2024 to photograph her for this collection, inviting the readers into the sparkling daily life at the convent.

It is hard to fully appreciate the fragrance a flower seed contains until it blossoms into a flower. The same goes for Sister Lee’s first short essay collection. Only when the book is opened can the true fragrance be realized. To read this collection is to dye a gloomy heart with flower petals, to let hope into a life that we thought was hopeless, and to realize the importance of the person who stays by our sides and pats our backs.