A letter to my son, on the eve of my retirement

Next step of this journey has to be taken by you
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Jung Ho-soo and Jung Byung-sun are a father and son pair working at UPS’s Incheon hub in Korea. Byung-sun joined UPS in 2018 and is a sorter on the export team. Ho-soo, a 28-year UPS veteran, joined in 1993 and currently leads sorters on the import team. He’s due to retire next year.

This Father’s Day, we bring you a letter from Ho-soo to his son, where Ho-soo reflects on his time with UPS and advice on life and work.

Dear Byung-sun,

Can you believe it has been 28 years already?

It seemed like just yesterday I joined UPS. Of course, you wouldn’t remember the excitement I had when I first came home to your mother all those years ago, dressed in the iconic brown we both know so well now. You were only a year old.

I was excited for the future. As a multi-national company, UPS offered the promise of stability and opportunity for us as a family. Fast forward to today, and months from my retirement, I remain as excited as I was then for the future. More so even, because you have decided to follow in my footsteps as a next-generation UPSer.

Although you’ve been with the company for just three years, we have shared more moments together both as co-workers and as father and son. I enjoy being able to talk about everything under the sun with you, the ins and outs of working with UPS, down to even the smallest issue or difficulty you encounter.

There will be bad days. But there will also be good ones. Mostly good. The next step of this journey will have to be taken by you and the next generation at UPS. And as you take the next lap, let me leave you with some lessons I’ve learned over the years.

  1. The greatest wealth in the world is diligence. Even a poor person can quickly amass a small fortune if he is diligent. With a little diligence, you can live your life twice as richly as others.
  2. A humble person is loved by all. Always be courteous, gracious, and most importantly, play fair even when others don’t.
  3. You are your own greatest enemy and supporter at the same time. Stay true to yourself and what you do, rather than continuously comparing yourself to others.
  4. Always speak with a positive mind. Positive thoughts and words bring good results.

In truth, nothing may ever fully prepare you for the twists and turns of life and work. The journey will be equal parts exciting and challenging … but as long as you remain polite and hardworking, it will be rewarding in the end.

So enjoy the ride.

Your father and co-worker,

Ho-soo

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