When I think of Japan

Whenever I think of Japan, I generally think of things like this:

or, like this:
or, occasionally, things like this:
I also think about the people and lifestyle that are so familiar to me because, in a sense, I grew up right alongside much of it. Although I have only visited Japan on short trips and never lived there for extended periods of time, my own mother is a native of Japan. She created an environment in my childhood home that very strongly conveyed the spirit of her homeland. To this day I speak to my parents in the Japanese language they taught me, and step away from my American-ness every time I do.

These days, when anyone mentions Japan, all that seems to come to mind are horrific images of destruction with the recent earthquake and tsunami affecting their nation. A week ago, as I tried to watch some of the footage from this calamity, I realized tears were rolling down my cheeks and quickly turned off the news, but was unable to stop sobbing for several minutes. It isn't typical for me to burst into tears at the sight of something sad, but perhaps because of the pregnancy, and perhaps because of emotional ties to this country, oceans away, I felt an unusual sense of sorrow. Thankfully, all of my family and friends in Japan have been kept safe through this event, but my prayers are with those who suffer there.