Wow. It sounds like you have lived through a lot of heartache and difficult times. I can’t begin to imagine would it must be like as a parent or a sibling to deal with a missing person case.

I wish I could say that I’m a good speaker, but I’m not. It takes me a while to compose my thoughts. Often, when I should speak, I don’t, or can’t, because I don’t have the right words at the right time, and my silence is considered rude or inappropriate.

Since coming to Japan and learning to bridge cultural differences and cultural expectations, and maybe just from becoming older and more experienced, I’ve come to understand when it’s better to say something, anything really, rather than remain quiet and in search of the right words.

Thank you for sharing your stories with me.