(5) A Story of Life's Renewal: My Children Were My Biggest Supporters.

The pain of love

had not yet ended.

There were days when I would remember him

and my heart would waver.

But

I had

a reason why I could not
stand still.

—

My eldest daughter entered high school
and started a part-time job.

A 24-hour gas station
that also had a cafe.

It was about a 50-minute bike ride from home.

When she had the early shift,

she would wake up at 4:00 AM
and leave the house before 5:00 AM.

When school ended,
she would go straight to work.

She had only just become a high school student.

Even so,
without ever complaining,

she worked hard every single day.


That small back of hers

to me,
looked so very large.

—

And my second daughter, who was in her final year of elementary school.
While I was still asleep,

she would take out the trash,

and sometimes,
she would even make dinner.
The menu

was always oyakodon.
Thinking back on it now,

I feel like the flavor might have been a bit strong.


But,

that was the warmest,
most unforgettable oyakodon.

—

On mornings when I headed to work,
what would come to mind was

the sight of my eldest daughter riding off on her bike.
The slightly over-seasoned oyakodon my second daughter made.

At that moment,
I realized it.


The one who was trying hard

wasn't just me...
My children, too, in their own respective places,


were living their lives to the fullest every day.

—
I was working desperately

to protect my children.

That was my intention.

But looking back now,
I think it was the existence of my children

that kept me moving forward.

My eldest daughter's hard work.

My second daughter's small acts of kindness.

In the midst of ordinary days,
I was encouraged time and time again

by those sights.



My children





were my biggest supporters.—
It's not that the pain disappeared.Even so, little by little,

my heart had begun to change.

From days spent watching him,

to days spent watching my children's smiles.

From days spent looking only at despair,

to days where I could envision a future.

Just a little bit at a time.

Truly,

it was little by little.

___

There are things I understand now.

For the me of those days,

the ones who gave me the strength to move forward

were my children.


There are times when people cannot be strong on their own.


That even while being supported by someone else,

we gradually become stronger.


The renewal of life
does not begin with a special miracle.



The day I noticed the kindness of those dear to me,
and thought I could face forward once again.

That small, yet certain step,
was the beginning of the renewal of my life.