Remembering My Mother

I am feeling the need to express and share my feelings about the loss of my mother in a digital manner this time - something new for me, as my previous (family) loss(es) were all in the pre-social media era; I will identify this era as really coming to fruition (for myself, in my estimation), around 2004 or 2005 (launch of Facebook). This blog will (hopefully) serve the purpose of affording those that want to know more about Mitsue and her life the opportunity to do so - culturally it will be a learning experience (you have to take my word for now).

My mother is serving as the "muse" or inspiration for this blog. She passed in the late night hours Wednesday October 28, 2015 in Torrance, California. I am not going to go into the medical details with respect to cause of death, because (for now) I don't now the exact cause and I feel it doesn't really matter (will explain in a later blog post). My mother lived her life on her own terms, was always a caring, supportive, giving person to others, there for them in their time of need. She had just turned 80 years old. It took me many years to appreciate her unselfish treatment of others, as well as her "quirky" devotion to the few vices she loved. I have included what is (arguably) the best photo I have of her in this initial post. It was taken during her last airplane trip in 2005, when I flew her to Bowling Green for my BGSU commencement; it was when I received my doctorate, and many BGSU'ers commented that they remember meeting her then. May she rest in peace - Mitsue Hedrick Kawasaki (1935-2015).