Meet My Mom & Sis....

Sis T, Mom & Maki

Today, I am doing MamaKat's writing assignment - this is my second try.

And I picked prompt #5: Who is the best listener you know? What makes him or her such a good listener?

The answer is very easy. I must say the best listener I know is my Mom. And I think I have to add my younger sister T right next to her. I usually don't talk about my family back in Japan and Hawaii. It is hard for me to talk about them because I miss them terribly and honestly, more I think about them, I get sad and start to cry. But today's prompt was hard to pass, so I decided to be strong and talk about my beloved family...

My Mom and Dad raised me and my sister by continuously saying, "Sister and sister, love each other and help each other..." My sister and I are only 18 month apart, so we're really close in age and whatever we did, we did together. I left Japan to study English at tender age of 15. Then my sister soon followed me after she graduating her high school in Tokyo.

Anyway, I am the baby in the family. I cry easily and tend to act like a little child even I am 35 and oldest daughter. If something happened between me and JT, I would call my mom or my sis T right away. And they are always there for me.

My Mom is an angel and she is my rock. I don't even know what I'd do without her. She is not judgemental. She just listens whatever I have to say. Even when I become emotional wreck and I could be saying something foolish, but my Mom always corrects the wrong for me by saying something really sweet. She wakes me up from those bad thoughts or feelings.

My younger sis T also has Mom's trait. She is a very good listener. She also gives me a very good advise whenever I need it. It's funny how I always call her and ask, "So what do you think??" - then she always has an answer for me!!! She is a very leveled individual who is a lot mature than me who is in fact, older than her. Kind of embarrassing, but oh well. LOL. And my sister knows everything about me - she even knows my darkest secrets that most of my friends or family don't know (and what would that be one might ask?? ? ).

On the other hand, I, Maki is a terrible listener or so does my sis T tell me. And I think the jury may agree with sis T. Don't get me wrong, I have had many friends come to me crying about their boyfriends or husbands and I have been there for them. But, I tend to butt in too much and try to solve their problems instead of just "listen"... Sometimes what people need is a friend who just listens to their problems, right?

So, I am truly grateful and fortunate to have such wonderful liseners in my life - my Mom and sis T (sorry Dad, I love you, but you're like me, not a good listener, but great at giving advise). It breaks my heart that they are thousands miles away. My dad always tell me when I call them crying homesick, "Even we're far away, our love will never change or fade. Distance won't matter..." - and I know he's right. And my Mom always say that I have a new family; JT, Ju Ju and Soapy. She is right about that too... But then, I think I'm allowed to miss my parents and my sister, aren't I?? If I miss them so much, does that make me a bad wife or bad mother? I just don't know..

Now I am getting sad again.. I think about my Mom who is on dialysis, who don't get to hold my daughters or see them grow up via live. Or my sister, who truly cherish, adore and love my daughters... And my Dad who would do anything for me or my sis or my girls. I miss them so much.

I tried the same photo above with my Mom, only this time I'm the Mom

This is last year's Christmas

Sis T & Mom

Me, Soapy & T