This year started with warm, sunny, windless and peaceful days.　My mother in wheel chair and I enjoyed walking along the Takano River near our place many times.　The flowing water twinkled and the floral buds on the cherry trees along the river looked already began growing.

Mother said it was her first time to enjoy such a peaceful, beautiful New Year days and that it would be her last time.　You will never know what would become of us in the future, but….

Spent a peaceful, warm New Year/

With mother who is/

Back in her childhood at heart/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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今年の初めの数日間は本当に好天に恵まれ、風もなく暖かないいお正月でした。車椅子の母と家の近くの高野川べりを何度も散歩しました。川の流れはキラキラと美しかったですし、桜並木の芽は早くも膨らんできているのが見て取れました。

母は「こんないいお正月は初めてだし、もう無いだろう」というようなことを言いました。確かに、先の事は分からないのですけれど・・・。

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This morning I woke up to find first snowfall this winter.　Because of my poor health in my childhood, my mother would make a snow rabbit for me when I was absent from school with cold, which often happened in winter.　I decided to reverse roles now and make one for her, but unfortunately I am too clumsy.　She tried to make another try later. However, my old mother seems to have lost dexterity in a hand.

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今朝起きると初雪が積もっていました。子供の頃病弱で、冬によく風邪で学校を休んだ私のために、母が雪うさぎを作ってくれました。今、役割を交替しようとしましたが、不器用なのでうまく出来ませんでした。後で母がやり直しましたが、年取った母は同じように不器用です。

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(Even after memories of the scenes disappeared.)

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（エピソードがなくなっても）

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The glittering surface of the Takano River that has been so familiar since my childhood strikes me as something very new when viewed with my mother in a wheel chair.　In other words, it is a sequel of this.

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子供の頃から見慣れた風景ですが、車椅子の母と見ると、ちょっと新鮮かも知れません。これの続編のようなものです。

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I wasn’t thinking much when I pressed the shutter button, while walking with my mom in a wheel chair, however, the result, this photo pleased me.

Shower brightened up/

Waterfowl/

Whiter/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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母と車椅子散歩の散歩中にふと撮った写真が気に入りました。

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Almost every day, my mother in a wheel chair and I go to this house while taking a walk to see the fruits on a tree planted to grow on a rack at the entrance.

Neither for eating/

Nor showing/

Akebia fruit/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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母と車椅子散歩をするとき、ほぼ毎日見に行きます。

お玄関に棚を作って通草を植えておられるお家を。

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When my mother in a wheel chair and I take a walk, total strangers such as people walking by and people heartily working in their gardens often pleasantly call to us, “Hello!”.　I wonder if my mother’s appearance makes people want to say, “hi!”.

Anyway, because of this new routine of ours, our neighbors think I am “a devoted daughter”, since we try to practice it every day and twice a day if possible.

Wheel chair sings along/

With the breeze/

Indian summer sky/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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母の座っている車椅子を押して散歩をしていると、道行く人、庭先でガーデニングに励む人・・・全く知らない人たちが、「こんにちは！」と挨拶してくれます。母は、挨拶したくなる顔をしているのかな？

何にしても、この新しい母娘の日課のおかげで、私は近所の人たちから「孝行娘」だと思われています。ほぼ毎日、出来るだけ日に２回実行していますので。

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