On July 7, activists visited a Halmoni in Gyeongnam to greet her. On the way to her home, we bought soy milk for her. When they arrived, Halmoni was sitting quietly, and the dog who had been keeping watch over her came out to welcome the activists.
Halmoni was seated in a soft chair, struggling to keep her eyes open as sleep kept washing over her. The caregiver who was with her told us about her health. She said Halmoni had slept well the night before but seemed weak and drowsy because of the humid weather. Since sleeping then might make it harder for her to sleep comfortably at night, we sang songs and clapped our hands to help her stay awake.
When we began the first line of a song, the rest flowed naturally from Halmoni’s lips. She sang children’s songs such as “Mountain Rabbit” and “School Bell,” popular songs such as “Don’t Cry, Hongdo,” and even the Japanese folk song “Sakura Sakura.” She also recited the Lord’s Prayer and counted numbers for us.
Even so, it seemed difficult to keep sleep away. As we sang “Southbound Train” to help her stay awake, the lyrics felt especially sad that day as we looked at Halmoni in her old age: “Even if we cannot meet, please do not forget. I loved you.”
Then, suddenly, a siren rang for a fire safety inspection. Startled, the dog circled around Halmoni as if trying to protect her. The sound of the siren seemed to wake Halmoni a little. Looking at the dog guarding her, she greeted the activists and, seeing Lilo, who had recently joined the Korean Council, asked, “Who is this?” with a faint smile. When Lilo told her that she had dressed nicely to come see her, Halmoni was very pleased.
As we sang and met Halmoni’s eyes, the time for our return train quickly approached. We said goodbye and told her we would visit again. Perhaps because she was sad to see us leave, Halmoni held the activists’ hands for a long time and would not let go.
We hope that when we see her next, Halmoni will have regained more strength and be in better health. Halmoni, please stay with us for a long, long time.
On July 7, activists visited a Halmoni in Gyeongnam to greet her. On the way to her home, we bought soy milk for her. When they arrived, Halmoni was sitting quietly, and the dog who had been keeping watch over her came out to welcome the activists.
Halmoni was seated in a soft chair, struggling to keep her eyes open as sleep kept washing over her. The caregiver who was with her told us about her health. She said Halmoni had slept well the night before but seemed weak and drowsy because of the humid weather. Since sleeping then might make it harder for her to sleep comfortably at night, we sang songs and clapped our hands to help her stay awake.
When we began the first line of a song, the rest flowed naturally from Halmoni’s lips. She sang children’s songs such as “Mountain Rabbit” and “School Bell,” popular songs such as “Don’t Cry, Hongdo,” and even the Japanese folk song “Sakura Sakura.” She also recited the Lord’s Prayer and counted numbers for us.
Even so, it seemed difficult to keep sleep away. As we sang “Southbound Train” to help her stay awake, the lyrics felt especially sad that day as we looked at Halmoni in her old age: “Even if we cannot meet, please do not forget. I loved you.”
Then, suddenly, a siren rang for a fire safety inspection. Startled, the dog circled around Halmoni as if trying to protect her. The sound of the siren seemed to wake Halmoni a little. Looking at the dog guarding her, she greeted the activists and, seeing Lilo, who had recently joined the Korean Council, asked, “Who is this?” with a faint smile. When Lilo told her that she had dressed nicely to come see her, Halmoni was very pleased.
As we sang and met Halmoni’s eyes, the time for our return train quickly approached. We said goodbye and told her we would visit again. Perhaps because she was sad to see us leave, Halmoni held the activists’ hands for a long time and would not let go.
We hope that when we see her next, Halmoni will have regained more strength and be in better health. Halmoni, please stay with us for a long, long time.