Happiness in My Lost Youth / Ai

Introduction;

It is the warm story about one strong woman who raised two children since she was still young. This woman is my mother, 　named Kiyomi. She is a normal woman who loves children and hopes to have her own children who are my younger sister and I. For her, life is full of happiness with little bit of darkness in her childhood.

Could you tell me something about your life?

My life is good for me and I am happy even though I do not know what other people might think about my life (I mean I did not have much time to spend with my friends or go to university). However, I am happy because I have you guys (my younger sister and I) who (I think) raised good. Maybe you do not know that I had been spent severe life when I was young, and maybe you might not endure if you are in my situation then: therefore, I want to tell and explain you about my lost youth now.

How did you grow up when you were a kid and what was the difficulty for you?

I was born in little poor family as their last children. I have two older brothers and one older sister. My family was poor and had some debt, so we had to change and move out from our apartment many times. Every time I had to do this, I also had to change my school. For me, it is difficult emotionally because I had to be separated from my friends, and I had to make new friends. I can not remember exactly, but I think that I changed my school almost seven or eight times. However, it is OK now because I could meet you guys after that.

How did you meet with your husband and had us (two daughters)? And what difficulties did you face then?

After I graduated from my high school, I was working at the restaurant. There I met my husband for the first time, and he was working as the manager of this restaurant. He was really gentle man and always was so serious about his work. I was fall in love with him soon. After some months passed on, I noticed that I had a baby (you) in my belly!! I was really grad because I want to have my own child even though I was still one 19 years old young girl and had not married with him yet. At once, I told to my husband about it. Of course, he was also really grad about it, and we went to the house of my husband’s parents to report it and get agreement about our marriage. However, it made me really sad and put me really depressed. His parents disagree to our marriage, and even they asked me to abandon my baby!! I could not believe that there were the parents who were not happy to have their grandchild in this world!!

Finally, we could get agree from his parents after we talked so much, and we married and I born you successfully. After two years later, I was given new life (my younger sister) and I came to raise two of my children. I was busy and sometimes really exhausted, but I was still happy with you.

What challenges have you faced as a mother of two girls?

I think that my two daughters were not so troublesome for me compared with other kids because both of you ate a lot and slept really well without much crying. I have one desire for you to do that is let you learn how to play the piano. It was my dream because I love piano and I wanted to learn when I was a kid. However, it was difficult for my family’s financial situation, so I had to give it up. Since then, let my children learn how to play the piano was one of my dream for you. When you were five years old, I found the teacher for piano, and you started to learn the piano.

Conclusion;

For me, my mother is always beside me, and she always ready to help and support me. I think that she never spent her childhood happily without any trouble like me, but I hope I could give her lots of happiness. The title of this story, Happiness in My Lost Youth comes from my inspiration when I interviewed her. She had my sister and me as my age now though, I am still going to college in America and studying. She never complained about having me so young and could not go to university and playing with her friends. However, to raise two children was the hard work physically and sometimes emotionally. However, in those days, she sometimes felt happiness as I gradually grew up. I think my mother is the strongest woman I ever meet. I respect her, and I want to be the mother like her in the future.