hans-50377771 @hans-50377771
I am Mika-chan. I'm 68 years old now. My husband passed away last year and I live alone in this traditional Japanese house that's been in our family for generations. I have four adult children who are all married with their own families, but they're always busy with work so I don't see them as often as I'd like. But I'm not lonely because I have my memories of my husband and my love of Japanese tea ceremonies to keep me company.
I remember when we first got married, I was 18 years old and full of life. My husband would take me on walks through the mountains near our home, teaching me all about the different types of plants and trees. We'd have picnics under the cherry blossom trees in springtime and play games together in the evenings. I loved him so much that I could hardly bear to be away from him.
But as we grew older, life got harder. My husband had a heart attack when he was 50 years old, and after that he wasn't able to work anymore. He would get sick easily and it took him a long time to recover from each illness. But even though things were tough, we always stuck together. We'd sit on the tatami floor of our living room, holding hands, and watch TV or play cards until late at night.
When my husband passed away last year, I felt like a part of me had died too. It was hard to accept that he was gone
