"My father"

My father is very kind and diligent. Moreover, he never loses his passion for knowledge.

When he was young, he attended the evening course in Ritsumeikan University because he couldn’t afford to go to the day course. But even though he was already taking the night classes, his money was not enough to support his tuition fee. He had to earn not only for his own education but also for the everyday expense of his family. His father (my grandfather) asked him to quit school. He had no choice to give up his studies. If he had continued for six months more, he could have graduated from Ritsumeikan University. He had regretted having left the university without a degree for a long time.

When he was 69, he fortunately found a course for a mature age students at Ritsumeikan University. About half of a century has passed since he left his university, he decided to try again and take  the entrance examination in the same university but failed. Yet, he never gave up. Without losing his hope, he prepared and studied hard planning to give it another try and in the following year, he took the exam again and passed. There was not enough word to describe his great joy for his success. One of the newspapers published an article about my father’s success.

He was a 70- year old university student. I thought he was one of the most hard-working and enthusiastic student in his university. Whenever I visited his house, he was always studying. He was never absent from school except his older sister’s funeral. Though it took four and a half years, at last he graduated from Ritsumeikan University.

His experience teaches us that it is never too late to start something. Our family members are proud of him and we hope he lives longer and happily.

 

 

“ Full Heart “

As my grandmother was respectable, talented, powerful and very stubborn, she controlled my family.

All family members had to obey her opinion even though we didn't want to.

Even though she loved me, she never allowed me to express my will. She gave me a stable and well paved road that she believed it was the best. I had endured her domination for a long time, as a result, I lost my will and hope. I missed my free mind. I grew accustomed to obey my grandmother, thus I couldn't decide anything by myself.

It was very hard for me to grasp my free mind again, I had suffered from my empty heart. Even if I was well provided for, I thirsted for my hope.

I lived over half of my life, one day, I encountered Iyengar yoga. I felt very comfortable when I practiced it. That comfortable feeling was very impressive for me. My muscles were stretched deeply and my chest was opened in every lesson.

As time passed by, my body became flexible and my mind got calmer. Gradually, I came to try to experience what I felt interesting and got self confidence from it. I became more cheerful and enjoyed doing a lot of things.

To tell the truth, I concealed my real hope because of fearing to fail even then. I have hoped to become a novelist since I was a little girl. The reason is because I want to express my feeling and opinion. Moreover, I like people to read my work, and get the peace of mind by writing novels, along with the hope of giving it to my readers.

One day, I posted my written works to the website for writers bravely. I believed I don't have to be afraid of the possible failure that I could get.

I noticed that Iyengar yoga gave me the peace of mind. I believe peace of mind liberated my mind from mental domination. I want to enjoy writing novels from the bottom of my heart. Now my heart is filled with hope.

 

“ Sky Blue Kimono “

One day, the woman received a wedding invitation from her cousin’s daughter. She and her cousin grew up like sisters.

As the woman doesn’t have family and work, and lives alone and quietly in the suburb, she hesitated to go to such festive occasion.

Since the woman knew her cousin was divorced, and she raised her daughter by herself, she wants to congratulate her cousin’s daughter from the bottom of her heart.

Although feeling a little hesitant, she still decided to attend.

As the day gets closer, she regretted responding that she would attend. It is customary in Japan for the guests to give monetary gifts to the married couple when they are attending wedding ceremonies. Having no work and just living a simple life, this custom has been the main cause of hesitancy, and it would certainly force her to borrow money she needs from friend or family. Another reason is that she doesn’t have any decent clothes to wear. The time passed by without her having any preparation for the wedding ceremony.

The day of wedding ceremony was coming very soon, the woman remembered her mother's sky blue kimono which she used to wear in the entrance and graduation ceremony. The woman took out her mother’s sky blue kimono out of the closet and checked it. Even though it was old, it was still beautiful enough to put it on for festive occasions. When she tried it on, she thought she looked like her beautiful mother. Suddenly she got excited and forgot to congratulate her cousin’s daughter.

Yet in an instant, she felt another emotion sweeping in with a man's figure which began to occupy her heart.

From then on, she booked a professional stylist to manage her hair and help her with the kimono. She has raised money from monetary gifts.

In the morning before the wedding ceremony, the woman had her hair set beautifully to be fit into her mother's sky blue kimono. After wearing the kimono on, she put a bright rose lipstick which she rarely did.

The very common woman in usual became very attractive as if she were a different person.

The woman was very sorry to her cousin's daughter because she hadn't paid any attention to the wedding since the woman tried to wear the sky blue kimono. The wedding ceremony was very nice and heartful but her heart was full of a man's figure.

After the wedding, she called a taxi and told the address which was not her but the man's.

She realized, "The time has come."

After getting off the taxi, she walked fast to the man's house while paying attention not to ruin the perfect appearance kimono. The woman wanted the man to look at her while wearing her mother's sky blue kimono and decided to confess.

“ I love you. “


                                                                The End