My Mother's 94th Birthday Trip, Busan, Korea (May 2025)

 

My mother's birthday is May 1, in the lunar calendar. So it falls on different dates every year. This year, it fell on May 27. She became 94 years old. It has been our desire and plan to make a short trip to celebrate her birthday because it becomes uncertain to be able to celebrate her next birthday as she gets older.

This year, we agreed to make a trip to Busan mainly because it is easier to access from the train station. As she is getting older, her mobility is also getting weaker and worse every year. Jimin made all the arrangements this time. We were a group of four and the view from the condominium was panoramic.

When we checked into the condominium, however, we had to deal with a medical condition our mom faced. Her legs were swollen badly, and she felt very sick. We became busy taking care of her. Thankfully, she recovered significantly after a few hours. But we had to adjust our schedule significantly. 

In the afternoon, three of us, while our mom was resting at the condominium, came out to walk in the hiking trail by the river. We had a pleasant time together.

My sisters are in their sixties, but their hearts remain young, posing for a photo like this. 

We had a late lunch at a Japanese restaurant with sushi and sashimi dishes because our mom likes sushi and sashimi. We enjoyed the food and the joyous time together.

In the evening, we gave thanks to God who has kept her safe and healthy to this date, and celebrated her birthday with a Happy Birthday song. 

I am so thankful that my two sisters are so close to each other, and they are readily available to take care of our mom whenever needed. They agreed to visit Mom regularly, twice a month now. I am so relieved. They look gorgeous together, and I love them together.

We prayed that we would be able to celebrate her 95th birthday next year, which will fall on June 15, 2026. - Jeffrey