Everyone wish my mom a Happy Birthday!

This is the woman that made me. Not an easy task. She's indestructible. The strongest person I know.

Some of you don't know this, but my mom played a large part in my decision to move to Japan (and no, it wasn't because I wanted to get as far away from her as possible).

One day in December or January, a few short weeks after my first Japan visit with Pat, I was driving in my car contemplating what to do with my life. After much self-deliberation and realizing how mundane Vancouver was, I finally told myself that I wanted to live in Japan. However, the decision wasn't actually all that final. I still needed to do one thing: I phoned my mom.

My mom's response would make or break my trip to Japan. It may seem strange, but me moving all the way to Japan ultimately depended on whether my mom said Yes or No. I was 75% sure I was going to do it, but I really needed her blessing do know that I was making the right decision. When she told me - without hesitation - to go for it, I was slightly surprised. But at that moment, it made me realize that after a lifetime of constant nagging and (s)mothering, she still just wanted to make sure that my happiness was a priority, even if it meant that her only son would be living halfway across the world.