As the number of children increased from one to three, my work-centered lifestyle gradually changed to a family-centered lifestyle. My younger sister gave birth, my mother fell ill, and I spend every day worrying about how to take my daughter to and from school. A conversation with my mother, who fell ill last year, has led me to think about the value of work and the value of being there .

Recognition and value of the efforts you make

Since my mother fell seriously ill last year, I have had more time to talk with her. She had brain surgery in the summer. Despite all the problems she faces, she is still trying to work hard like before. I told her that I want her to take better care of herself, but she told me that it's important to keep working hard like before, and she seemed proud of me for working hard and being positive like she always had.

I understand the mother's feelings, but as a child, I want my mother to face my illness properly. It's frustrating when my feelings of wanting to take care of my body and be with me for as long as possible aren't conveyed.

For a child, having their mother with them is something that can never be replaced, yet the mother finds more value in working hard.

In the Japan of the past, if you worked hard, you would get results, be recognized, and be happy. I can imagine that this was probably the case for my father and mother's generation.

They probably felt that the value of working outside and being recognized for it outweighed the value of spending time with their children, and that it was important for us to work outside for their happiness. And they probably justified it by saying, "You must be happy because we worked hard." They pretended not to notice how their children felt about it.

Happiness isn't something you have to work hard for, it's something that's there when you realize it.

When I was in my twenties, I realized that if you become accustomed to being evaluated by others, even your sense of identity becomes dependent on that evaluation. Since then, I have shifted the focus of my actions from the evaluation of others to my own intuition.

I have moved forward as much as possible, even as I have been hurt, with a "true heart." When I am true to myself, I think I can see other people as they are. And rather than judging them by their work, I have come to think that I want to accept them as they are . "Thank you for being with me" is enough for me. Thank you for having fun with me. By accepting myself as I am, I have met many people. My work has progressed as I have been able to accept others as they are. People who are natural are better than those who try hard in search of recognition. It's good to be honest.

You don't have to try so hard. You don't have to rush.

In this way, I have been gradually progressing from an annual turnover of 0 yen. My mother also supported me in many ways. I don't want to criticize what she did for me, but maybe I just remembered the lonely times I felt as a child and wanted my mother to not push herself too hard and to enjoy a little happiness.

The smell of the rain and the wind are different from back then But you, who live in this heart, still teach me If the sadness of yesterday, beyond the tears, someday turns into a smile You don't have to try so hard, because you can love people, you can love them even more You don't have to rush, because you can love the present, you can love them even more

Life is limited. This is true not only for my mother, but for me too. Working hard to live up to someone else's evaluation. Earning a living is, of course, important. However, being too preoccupied with this and thinking only about it means that we will end up not noticing the small joys that are close to us, and will end up on this nameless journey called life.