I’m most grateful for my parents who raised me to be who I am now.

I’m most grateful for my parents who raised me to be who I am now. Dad was strict, and although he wasn’t your typical “American” dad like the Dads on shows we grew up with – “Father Knows Best”, “Leave it to Beaver”, or “My 3 Sons”, he showed us love his own way. Reminding me of our Japanese heritage and to be proud of who we are – as Americans of Japanese descent. The Internment Camps he endured with the thousands of other Japanese Americans during WWII, never made him a bitter man. He always saw the bright side, or at least he would only tell us of the bright side. My mother raised us traditional Japanese – we only spoke Japanese with her. She taught me the Japanese culture and how to cook Japanese foods. She was a blessing as she raised my three sons while I worked. She is my best friend, and although she’s deteriorating with Alzheimer’s now, I’ll always remember the times we could talk, laugh, and cry together. I miss her dearly, for the person she was.