This is one of the most meaningful episodes I’ve recorded.
Motherhood is not easy — and even in the most “ideal” circumstances, it can feel like a constant series of quiet and not-so-quiet battles. Midori’s story was not ideal. Hard hit after hard hit, the kind that could have taken her down — and nearly did. But she kept going.
Small acts of kindness from strangers.A fierce determination to build a better life for her boys.And the decision, again and again, not to quit.
This episode is a reminder to look around us — to notice the moms who are barely holding it together — and to be the hand that reaches out when it matters most.
Trigger warning, this episode mentions suicide and suicidal thoughts.
At 18, Midori enlisted in the Marines — much to her father’s dismay.
Not because he didn’t believe in her, but because he was afraid. Afraid of what that choice would demand of his firstborn daughter. Afraid of the physical and emotional toll. Afraid, too, of a quieter truth: her parents made just enough money that college financial aid wasn’t an option, but not enough to pay for it outright.
So Midori made a decision that would shape the rest of her life.
She joined the Marine Corps.She learned discipline, leadership, and responsibility far earlier than most.She rose quickly.She led — even in rooms where she was the only woman.
And then life intervened.
A devastating knee injury.A medical retirement she didn’t choose.A pregnancy that complicated recovery.Postpartum depression.Isolation.No nearby family.No village.
What followed wasn’t a graceful transition — it was survival.
There were moments she questioned everything: her worth, her identity, her future. Moments where staying meant strength, not quitting. Moments where rebuilding meant starting over in ways she never imagined — learning to sew quilts just to make ends meet, returning to school while raising babies, redefining ambition in a body and a life forever changed.
And still — she kept going.
When I asked Midori to describe her journey in three words, she didn’t hesitate:
“You got this.”
Not because it was easy.Not because she always believed it.But because sometimes, those words are the only thing that carry you through.
This episode of Look Both Ways is one of our most honest conversations yet — about career disruption, motherhood, mental health, and resilience. The kind that doesn’t look pretty on paper, but is earned the hard way.
If you’ve ever felt like your path broke in half — this one’s for you.
