That night after I watched Wolf Children for the first time ever, I was completely confused, and of course, utterly sad for Hana. In my perspective, Hana not only lost her husband, but her daughter Yuki left to seek out her path as a human, whilst her son Ame chose to take control as the protector of the mountains.
When I walked downstairs, my dad asked me why I was so sad, and I told him pretty much how Hana suffered throughout the entire movie, and in the end she basically lost everything but still had a smile to her lips.
Instead, my dad told me that I got the entire story's moral backwards. The entire story was really based on Hana's love and how it expanded and differentiated throughout each and every moment of her life, from the beginning to the end.
The first type of love she had was the romantic, foolish and young love. She experiences this love as she falls in love with a man that she knows practically nothing about.
The second type is the unconditonal love; as her husband reveals his true form as a werewolf, not only does she accept that form and not segregate him, but she chooses to place her life on the line and be togther with him, therein later on having children.
The third type is the motherly love she expresses. Even after she loses her husband she holds a parental, motherly love for Yuki and Ame. As she had to keep them in secret, she was willing to strain to keep the remaining family alive and looked after them before herself.
The fourth type of love was her sacrificial love. She chooses the best for her children, and leaves the urban areas to rural country and wishes for her children to grow, and over the course of her first months in the countryside, she had to work extremely hard and even tanned as a result, just to keep her promise of freedom for her children and comfort without anyone discovering their true identities.
The fifth type of love she experiences is the more of a friendship, family-like love when the neighbours look after her and her children, especially the old man that taught her to plant the potatoes.
The sixth type of love, that is, the respecting type if love, was when she realized that her children were growing up and weren't in her control anymore. When Ame left, she had the revelation of letting go and giving her children their freedom; they chose their own paths, and all she can do is support them and let them go.
Overall, at the very end, Hana was seen sipping tea with the picture of her husband. The setting was very quiet and airy; this meant that Hana had no more concerns. Her love given has done it's deed, and now the meaning of her life is to enjoy its simplicity and not to dwell in the past but accept the present.
But this all shows one thing: all of Hana's love was given. Love isn't selfish, but it is kind. Once given out, there is no rule or assurance that it will be reciprocated, and Hana knew that. From the start she knew she had chosen the hardest path, but she chose it and kept on moving forward, and in the end she earns for herself a peaceful afternoon, sipping tea with her husband.