A Difficult Post

When I was young, I thought my parents were invincible.  I think most children think of their parents that way. They watched over me, took care of me when I was sick, and always seemed to be there when I  needed someone to talk to or was having a problem.  I've relied on them, throughout my whole life, and they've never let me down, not once.

So when sickness happens, it's a harsh reminder of how human your parents really are.

A little over two weeks ago, I found out that my mother has breast cancer.  This completely threw me for a loop, as I had no idea that my mom was having health problems.  It was even more of a shock when I was told a week later that it was stage 4 cancer.   I couldn't understand it - why was this happening?  And to my mom, the sweetest, kindest person I've ever known.

I was scared.  Stage four is a scary word to hear for cancer, and I was didn't want to think about my mom having to go through chemo and testing, and whatever else they do.  But most of all, it's difficult to be so far away from her, to not be there to help her in time when she'll need it most.  She's always been there for me, after all.

These last two weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions, as you can imagine.

But I've got to believe that she's gonna be ok, and that God's watching out for her.  She's so incredibly positive through all of this, and I know she's going to be an inspiration to others who are battling cancer.

I've bought plane tickets to go back to the US for August 1-13.  It's not a lot of time, and we couldn't afford to buy tickets for all of us (oh my goodness, tickets to America are expensive!!!), but it'll be good just to be with family for that small time.

I love you, mom.  And even when I'm in Japan, I'll be with you every step of the way.