Article June 5, 2017 Issue

Feeling loved—wherever you go

Molly Glascock

When I was a sophomore in college, I spent a semester abroad in Japan. One particular day it seemed that one good experience followed another. That morning, our group had met with a Japanese college professor, who’d shared insightful stories about the historical relationship between Japan and the United States. That afternoon, we spent time with Japanese college students, and I ended up having a very deep conversation with one of them about the cultural differences between Japan and the US.

When I returned to my host family that evening, my host mom excitedly announced that she had made one of my favorite desserts—pumpkin pie—because I had mentioned how much I liked it and she wanted me to feel at home. I was overwhelmed by her love and all the kindness I had experienced throughout the day.

While we were eating dinner, though, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my stomach, and it quickly became very uncomfortable. Trying not to draw attention to the situation, I excused myself to the bathroom, where I sat down on the floor in distress. I couldn’t contact my parents or a Christian Science practitioner for help because I didn’t have a phone. My host family wouldn’t know what to do with me, and I didn’t want to make them uncomfortable. What was I going to do?

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