It’s a Pandemic Birthday

It’s been 2 years and it is still a pandemic birthday to me! It’s quite sad but I still have more things to be thankful for.

Due to this pandemic, there are so many occasions that have been canceled or postponed. Just like my plans…

Yesterday, December 4 is my birthday. Honestly, since I was young my birthday is just a normal day for me. I never felt it was special because I never had a memory of celebrating it with my parents and it always reminds me of a broken promise.

But as I grew older, I’ve learned to celebrate it since I can only do it once a year. When I was in the Philippines, my friends I usually gather at my house and eat together. I missed those days where they are the ones preparing the food for my birthday.

After I leave the Philippines for Korea, I never had the same celebration. In Korea, birthdays are just ordinary days except for those who are having their first birthday, 60th, 70th, and 80th. I also haven’t tried having a simple birthday party at home with my K-family since my husband is always not home. So I used to eat outside with close friends.

This year, I planned to have a lunch date with friends but a corona outbreak from my son’s school came out. The day before my plan, my son’s school called out all parents to pick up the kids as soon as possible because someone tested positive. Alerts from the school are non-stop and they asked us to take the corona test as soon as we can. We took the corona test last December 2 and got the result the next day. Though we are NEGATIVE we are still cautious since the numbers who tested positive went up to 6 people.

We are not in quarantine though we are under observation for up to 10 days. We are allowed to go outside but we need to avoid crowded places as much as possible. Going back to my birthday story, I didn’t invite anyone to avoid contact with other people and just prepared something to eat with my son. A friend of mine sent a birthday cake so I don’t need to go out and buy anymore.

To make this pandemic birthday a bit special, I hung the birthday lantern that I’ve used during my husband’s birthday. Set up the mini table, my son told me to call his father so we can sing Happy Birthday all together and took some photos for memory keeps. I also received tons of greetings from online friends and family.

Despite being isolated, I am still thankful for many things that happened in my life especially these past few years. In my 36 years of existence in this world, I have learned a lot from my mistakes, struggles, and experiences. Because of that, I’ve grown stronger and bolder. I am thankful to God for the guidance and for all the blessings he has given. My life isn’t perfect but I am thankful for everything I have.

Did you like this post? Pin it!

Celebrating a birthday during this pandemic is such a bummer but there are so many ways to make this day special and memorable. So don’t feel sad and keep celebrating!

Xoxo, Hyejin 

P.S. Let us connect with each other! Find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Contact me by using this contact form.