“Being loved.” For me, these words are stuck to a memory of a disaster. It happened on my younger sister’s third birthday. My family was a typical, average-income household in a rural area of Japan. From my sister and me to my great-grandmother, four generations of our family lived together. My parents always managed …
Category: To Love & Be Loved
My Favorite Word
My favorite word in Spanish is “mamá.” It is a very simple word that has its identical equivalents in every language. Mom, mamma, mamãe, 쮜쮜, 엄마, anne, Mама, 徊徊. A simple word with so many meanings. When I was a child, “mamá” was the word that saved me from nightmares, pain, boredom, and distress. “Mamá” …
My Truest Love
All people have a great love or experience a special love. In my case, the first time I felt truly loved was when my daughter was two years old. At that time, I felt the purest and truest love. I remember the day very clearly. It was a Tuesday. I was sitting in my parents’ …
Why I Am Here
My mother was born and raised in Japan. She loved cats, piano, and English. In college, she majored in English literature and got an English teacher’s license. I was born and raised by a mother like that. I loved cats and piano, but I was not interested in English. When I entered junior high school, She …
Mom
Dear Mom, I know you are a traditional woman. You take care of the family and give me advice. I remember when I was young, we had a difficult life. We were poor, and you had several jobs, but there wasn’t enough money to pay my high school tuition fee. I told you I wanted …
Autumn
It wasn’t the first time that Simon was about to perform onstage, but still he was very tense, as he was all the time. From backstage, he could see the shining black piano reflecting on the polished wood floor, and the first three rows of spectators in the twilight—the rest of them were wrapped in …
Dear Miss Rosalee
Dear Miss Rosalee, Hi, Rose. I’m going to miss spending time and hanging out with you and your family this Christmas holiday, since I can’t make it to Atlanta as planned. My granddaughter, Kizzie, will be visiting Barbados for her Christmas holiday from the United Kingdom, and I want to be there to spend that …
My Independence
I am so happy because I am about to get my power wheelchair back. I could jump for joy because now I can go anywhere without someone pushing me. Before, I had a regular chair that someone had to push for me. I greatly appreciate everyone who pushed me around in it. Now that I …
My Dear Ali
Dear Ali, I should have written to you sooner. For many years now, I have wanted to write to you a letter so you would know you are not alone. I am a bit worried about you because I realized that you have been looking much thinner and have lost your beautiful green color. Ali, …
It Matters
You have allowed me to express myself creatively, to be excited about something that’s been meaningful to me all my life. I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating whether or not I was passionate about you anymore. I invested a lot of time in you as a child. Everyone saw the joy and happiness you …
My Trip to Isla La Tortuga
In April 2016, I took a trip to Isla La Tortuga, in Venezuela, with a friend, María. The trip was long because the tide was high. By the end of the five-hour sail, my skin was red from a sunburn. However, the spectacular landscape of the island was worth it. The sea had clear azure …