Monday, February 23, 2009

Getting all sentimental

My mom just showed us these pictures. It is her. I really love these pictures.
I don't love how foreign it feels to me. I don't love how even more foreign it must feel to my kids. It makes me all teary. Sometimes ideas float in my head about how I can make this less foreign, but then the day to day stuff takes priority. I mean, I drive a Toyota.  Eva has Hello Kitty sheets.  We eat a lot of Japanese food.  Maybe I can start making peace signs every time I pose for a picture.  I know I have way bigger worries in my life. But I just don't like how this part of me is kind of just slipping away. I thought I would teach my kids Japanese (along with a bajillion other things I thought I would teach them), but sometimes it feels like they don't even listen to me in one language.  So why throw in another?  And doing something about it, well, that would be adding just another thing to my list of not-done-yets...

10 comments:

Kris Tina said...

Just fyi - Junko is bea-u-tiful - and you look just like her. Remember when your mom would always talk to you in Japanese and you would always respond in English (way before the mission)? - don't give up on it. They will learn how important your history is by watching how much you care about it. I know it. And I totally support you always posing with a peace sign. It just makes things real.

Adri said...

Wow you look just like your mom! Those are great pictures. Your a great mom keep up the good work. You still have plenty of time to teach them Japanese.

Michelle said...

Those are so precious. She is beautiful.

Malea said...

I think you are doing a great job! (The making the peace sign comment made me laugh) You could make dinner in the Iron Chef manner, with the timer, and the kids could be the judges.

Just think of the special connection they will have with your mom. You could take in a Japanese student, if you wanted more culture. There is a company who lets us host from 1 week to 1 month. We have had a great time doing that. I also teach English to teenage Japanese boys for a session once a year. It's at the college, so imagine my first phrase on the agenda (said with your best accent) "whasa happinin' hos stuff" Everyone needs a little Joey Tribbiani in their lives.

Malea said...

Dude, my bad. I was thinking about the first year when I had them do the 16 Candles quote. The past two years I have taught them the "How you doin'". I promise it's great on the boys' dialect coaching to work on the hard OO's on doin':)

Nicole said...

Those pictures are amazing!

Angela said...

Your mom and Eva look a little alike to me. These pictures are gorgeous!

Kathryn said...

I can see a lot of Eva in your Mother's photos. I would like to think she looks just like me, but I can see lots of Junko in her. The pictures are precious. She was an adorable child! Thanks for posting them.

Emily said...

I'm crying. crying.

Those picture are stunning - what a treasure!
And the whole post - beautifully written. . .

I also mourn the loss of traditions and culture that I feel like my children should know - and they don't.

Liz O. said...

I love your mom! She looks so beautiful in those pictures. Thanks for sharing them! Christina, do we really have to feel such a burden of guilt about what we don't teach our kids? Or is it par for the course as a mom? I've always felt this internal pressure to teach my kids to be multilingual with my (now non-existent) Spanish & Preston's Portuguese, but all I've managed to do is buy a few board books here and there. You are too hard on yourself. Your mom's culinary talents weren't lost on you, and I am certain that your kids are picking up on that! I seriously was just thinking about the day you gave us the little cooking demo in your apartment in Chicago. You share that talent with your mom. I know there are plenty of other traditions you are passing along to your kids, too.

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