A.Cl.re.ox.wi.ls.ey

One of my suite mates is Korean and me her and another suite mate sometimes sit around the t.v. and watch an episode of one of her Korean dramas. Currently we are viewing 'Autumn Falls', next is 'Spring Waltz'- that one is set in vienna and the main character is a pianist. I'm pumped. Anyway, in Autumn Falls this birthday comes up and its all dramatic and important and both (yes both) mothers make the daughter this special birthday seaweed soup. We asked the Korean suite mate if you were allowed to eat the birthday soup when you aren't having your birthday, and she said she didn't know.

Then I got to thinking it wouldn't be special if you could have the birthday soup whenever you wanted. But what if some kid really loved that seaweed soup, what kind of mother wouldn't make it for the kid on days when they were sick or sad? Then I thought it would be great if this were the tradition of the birthday seaweed soup of Korea:

Publicly it is accepted that the birthday soup is strictly for birthdays, but each mother, independent of each other, on days when a child is sick or sad makes them the birthday soup and tells them that its a secret, and it is a secret because they never tell anyone. In loo of mothers, because sometimes you don't have one or the one you have isn't so great, a father or older sibling will do the same thing.

This makes sense because people like to have things that are special, keep those things special, and USE those special things.