to my sons

Last night, I saw a TV show about an old woman dying of cancer (I forget her name so let's just call her Machiko) and her two sons, Takashi and Taku.

When she finds out that she only has a couple of months left, she decides to escape from the hospital to search for Taku, her younger son who has been MIA after not being able to pay off his debt.  Takashi, the older son who has been taking care of her, has always felt that his mother liked Taku better, and is slightly emotional about the fact that it is going to be that way until the end.

When they finally find Taku, Machiko says she wants to go on a trip to Matsushima where they visited with their father (her husband) before he died young in an accident.  But the trip is actually for Taku -- so he wouldn't have to suffer and regret about not having done anything for his mother before she dies.

On the way to Matsushima, they end up picking up a random girl who Taku decides to marry later on during the trip, and Machiko insists that they should also drop by Takashi's wife's home where she is staying with her son - she had asked for divorce.

The whole story and the conversations were pretty cheesy until the very end when Takashi gets a text after his mother's death.  He's shocked to see that it's from his mother:

Dear Takashi,

By the time you read this, I am not there anymore.

This world filled with hope and warmth may be harsh at times.  But please remember to appreciate every small encounter in your life.  Your "now" is supported by many many people that you encounter every day.

As you know, Taku has always had a lot of troubles.  I know you felt lonely because I was always busy taking care of him.  So this last message is only for you - my first special treat for you （あなたへの最初のえこひいきです）.

I'm proud to have had two amazing sons.

Your mother

I admit I'm a sucker for epilogues like this and letters from dead people.  It's so sad and heartwarming at the same time.  I stopped what I was doing and just cried with Takashi.  He now finds that his mother is calling - Machiko had given her cell phone to her daughter in law on the way to Matsushima.  Takashi's wife comes to see him and he realizes that the the trip was not only for Taku but also for him.  She had wanted to go to Matsushima, but more than that, she had wanted to give Takashi and his wife a chance to reconcile.

I realize I wrote a lot during my break.  It was fun and a great stress relief, but school is starting tomorrow.  I don't know how frequently I would be able to write.  I'll miss writing!