In Korea, new mothers are often presented with seaweed soup or Miyeok Guk. Rich in iron, iodine, calcium, and folate, the soup is thought to promote healing, recovery, and lactation. Symbolically, giving a young mother seaweed soup is akin to saying, “Thank you. You did a great job. We are proud of you. We are indebted to you. We love you.” And thus, seaweed soup is also the traditional meal one eats on your birthday. To REMEMBER your mother. The great sacrifices she made on the day you were born, in the months leading up to your birth, and the years after. I wonder whether anyone was there to feed my mother miyeok guk when I was born. My grandmother (her mother) was not yet here in the States and my Dad could barely make instant ramen noodles at that time (he’s since grown into a great cook). What a lonely adventure motherhood must have been for my mom, starting the very second I was born. I love my Dad and I’m proud of the kind of father he grew to be, but, let’s be real—he was far...