One day soon, we’ll have to leave the older sibling in Irvine, to be cared for — and hopefully, not chopped down — by a new family.

But not Elsa. One day soon, I hope we’ll find Elsa the Wax Fruit Tree a permanent home where we can spend many years together.

Sometimes the days seem to drag along. Other times, the months fly by. It’s hard to process that it’s been 10 months now since my mom went into cardiac arrest. 10 months now that she’s been in a persistent vegetative state. Man, whoever coined the term really wasn’t kidding with the “persistent” part … Anyway,…

My mom turned 71 today. We did a video call with my dad last night (because Taiwan is a day ahead) and sang happy birthday to her. I’m not sure she had any awareness of us, though, so it wasn’t exactly an uplifting moment. Anyway, people have been asking how she’s doing, so I figured…

This is the image I’ve seen twice a day for almost three weeks straight now … The intensive care unit opens for visitations twice a day, for half an hour each time. As I’ve previously mentioned, the experience reminds me of a cattle call. Visiting time nears, and a small crowd gathers outside the sliding…

It’s now been over three weeks since my mom went into cardiac arrest. Physically, she is stable, and it doesn’t seem like she’s going to crash now. At least, not anytime soon.

Yet, she still hasn’t shown any overt signs of consciousness. And so, the waiting continues. At this point, we have to plan for the long haul, because it’s clear my mom’s situation isn’t going to be resolved any time soon.

My mom used to drive down to San Diego every now and then to visit for a few days. Every time she came, she would bring a large box full of snacks and supplies. One time, she brought with her a plastic container filled with homemade mango salsa. I was impressed. I had never known…

Some of you know that I’m a self-professed awkward hugger. To be clear, I don’t dislike hugging. I’m just … weird at it. Clearly, I’m even weirder at it when I’m being directed to hug my parents: Ever since my dad suffered his aneurysm in 2014, things have been rough for my mom. My and Melissa’s wedding…