Life with My Grandfather by Susumu Hattori (優勝、エッセイ賞候補作)
Life with My Grandfather by Susumu Hattori
(優勝、エッセイ賞候補作)
アイ・オズモシス
夏の英語エッセイ・評論コンテスト2009
Reader’s Choice賞 受賞作品 （エッセイ部門）
優勝、エッセイ賞ノミネート、おめでとうございます。
Hattori様の熱い思いがストレートに伝わってくる
作品でした。とても心温まる作品です。
クライマックスで感動が！ハンカチのご用意を！
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Life with My Grandfather
Summer is the hardest season for aged people, and their family should help them.
This spring, I quitted my job, and began to devote myself to take care of my grandfather, who is going to be 100 years old in October. For some years, we two have lived all by ourselves. Thanks to the nursing care insurance, a few times a week, he has been helped by care workers. But I felt that these public aids are not enough for a super-aged man. Besides, my mother, who is his only surviving child lives far from his house and she cannot come very often. Then, I decided to endeavor to become his best supporter.
At that time, some of my friends criticized me for my decision. I have no objection against their advices. They are right. I’m just a young jobless man.
But who else can stay with my beloved grandpa? Since my childhood, Grandpa has been so tender that he has been teaching me a lot of things. I am proud of him, and am happy to stay with him. Fortunately, I can listen to his precious old memories even before the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.
Although he is still able to walk without stick for a short distance, recently, he often forgets a lot of things. For instance, he doesn’t remember how to turn on neither his electric fan nor his air conditioner. It may be natural because when he was born, there wasn’t any kind of electrical “ switch “ around him. I prepared a memorandum with illustrations so that he can understand how to switch these equipments on, but, unfortunately, he could not find where the memo was. Sometimes he forgets even the simplest fact that one should open the window when a room is too hot.
One evening, when I came home back from supermarket, I found him half-naked. In the living room, where the hotness was unbearable, he was sleeping deeply on the floor.
Right away, I woke him up and gave him a glass of water, and explained how much I had been anxious, but he laughed and said “ Don’t worry. I’m strong “. His spirit seemed to be very strong, anyway.
Occasionally, he is too kind to me. One morning, I noticed that there left just one slice of bread on the dining table, so I told him to eat it for the time being and went to a bakery to buy a loaf. When I came back, I found a small piece of bread on that table. He explained that he had torn one slice into two pieces, and had eaten only one piece. “I thought you would be hungry, so I saved a half for you.” he said. Having heard thus, I got annoyed, and in spite of myself, I began to shout. “ Grandpa, you don’t have to care for me! Such small piece can’t be enough for your stomach, can it? I can go shopping, I can cook, and you’re gonna be a hundred, so, please, take care of only YOURSELF! “
As his face looked sad, I reconsidered. I cannot imagine how much he had been hungry while he was in the army, and I have to be conscious of the fact that I cannot imagine the suffering he experienced through his long life…
So, I apologized to him, and said:
“Thank you very much. Anyway here’s another loaf. Let’s have some more together. “
Then he smiled gently and nodded.
Now, my prime desire is that he attains to his happiest birthday safely, and I can hardly wait for the coming of that wonderful day.
パンを半分にちぎって。。。
うっ、いい話だなあ。。。
おじいちゃんに優しくしよ！
感動的な作品だと思いました。
仕事をやめることを止めた友人たちの気持ちもわかりますが、それでも素敵な決断だと思いました。おじいさんとの会話のディテールがとてもよかったです。中盤、泣かずにおれないです。
Hello!
I am the author of this essay.
At first, I am deeply grateful to all the staffs for having placed my writing here.
Then, dear readers, I do appreciate your attentions and kind comments.
Happily, now, my grandfather is 100 years old.
I thank everybody and everything in the world!
100才になる祖父と青年とのふたり暮らし、その内実の豊かさがしのばれる。もし経済的に許されるのであれば、つまらぬバイトなどで時間を浪費せず、現在の介護生活を大切にしてほしいものだ。当事者にしか分からない辛さもあるだろうが、そこから得られるものの大きさは測りしれないと思う。
Hello Hattori-san,
We are very glad to hear your grandfather is now 100 years old…!! It is so special to be at the moment a person passing 100 years of his life, and I feel very happy to be a small part of the celebration.
Thanks for sharing this very heartwarming story with us! I think the decision to take care of an elderly family member is an incredibly selfless act of love, and your story shows how much you care for your grandfather. The part of the story where you mentioned how he had saved half of the slice of bread for you really showed how he, too, loves you very much!
Tomorrow, I will make sure to call my grandmother and let her know that, though we are far away, I still think of her always.
Lovely story
Very touching story, and as rightly mentioned in one of the comments, an incredibly selfless act. Am sure your grandpa is very proud of you. Also, thank you for subtly showing us the way, that we need to care for our elders. I wish you the best in life:-)
> ロールさん
ありがとうございます。
ぜひおじいさまに優しくしてあげてください。
> #さん
ありがとうございます。
感動的な現実を生きています。
> AMANOさん
ありがとうございます。
内面的に計り知れない豊かさを得ています。
> 加納 愛さん
Thank you very much!
I told my grandfather that my writing was nominated.
Although he didn’t understand what ” Internet ” is,
he said ” That’s a good celebration! I’m happy, too.
Say “” Thanks! “” to everyone!” .
I’m very grateful!
I can’t thank you enough!
> Charity Lees san
Thank you for your reading!
Actually, I wanted to describe the best fact;
” Grandpa loves me ” .
Please call your grandmother, and tell her you love her!
> Susanne san
Thank you a lot!
I hope my grandpa be proud of me!
To tell the truth, once I had thought the respect fot elders were
kind of, old-fashioned, or east-asian Confucianism-like virtue.
But now, I’m very happy because so many people know and understand us.
I kinda understand your annoying feeling when you said to your grandpa to care about only himself.
I have grown up in 3 generation family and my grandparents often took care of me when I was a kid. I appreciate and care about them much.
My grandma has suffered from an incurable disease for a long time and it started affecting her brain. I really cared about her, however; as I spent time with her, I started being annoyed.
I said to her same thing as what you said to your grandpa.
I often became emotional and could neither apologize nor thank her.
Your essay really moved me.
I see the strong bonds between you and your grandpa!!
I meant
I could not neither apologize nor thank her.
Sorry
お爺様とご本人、お二人の優しさと強さが滲み出るような作品だと思いました。
仕事を辞めて介護に専念されているのですね。
私の家族にも後期高齢者が3人いますが、介護生活は本当に根気のいるものだと思います。
Hattoriさんの根気強さも、作中の細かいエピソードからうかがえました。
読む者に自身と家族の関係を振り返らせてくれる、良い作品だと思いました。
Hattoriさん自身のお体も大切にしてくださいね。
Hattori-san, I love your essay. Very beautifully written, more so because I could relate to it so easily. It reminded me of my granmother and how she was. I hope you continue writing. All the best to you and your grandfather!
This a lovely story! When your elders have a protracted period of illness, it is often difficult to take care of them with love and patience. But your story has shown us that even if we have our moments of irritation, it is possible to overcome them and the outcome will always be good.
Hello Hattori-san!
Highly touching! One thing is certain: since you have chosen to give this huge sacrifice to care for your grandfather, you can be rest assured that your children/grandchildren too will value you highly and provide you with utmost care. What goes round, comes round!
Way to go! Keep writing.
なかなかいい話だね。
ちょっと文法おかしかったり、単語の変化がおかしかったりは
したけど、、、
>Shantanu san
Thank you for your encouraging words!
According to the legends,
there used to be the people who attained such age!
> キャロルさん
Thank you for your understanding,
and for having shared your precious memories.
I need to control my emotion, because I’m already a grown-up.
I promise I keep the strong bonds with my Grandpa.
> Yoshidaさん
ありがとうございます。
僕も頑張ります。
Yoshidaさんも御家族と御自身の御健康を大切になさってください。
>Satyajit san
Thank you for your words!
I promise I keep writing essais.
Actually, I’ve been taking memos,
memos about the old memories my grandfather have been telling me.
> Yukti san
Thank you very much!
I was encouraged by the words you wrote.
Yes, I need to overcome my moments of irritation,
and my grandfather will smile again.
> Minhaj san
“What goes round, comes round!”,
this phrase really encourged me!
But, I sometimes feel like that;
” The earth is huge.
There must be a young great person who helps her/his grandparent,
economically, mentally, and phisically, in all ways.”…
> うーすけさん
読んでいただいてありがとうございます。
文法・語法上のミスは、審査員の方の講評を待ちます。
今どき、自分のことよりも、家族のことを考える若い人がいるんだ・・・と感動しました。
途中から涙が出てとまりませんでした。
お祖父様にとっても、きっとSusumuさんのことは、誇りですよ！
私の息子たちは、同じことができるでしょうか・・・疑問です。
今の生活はSusumuさんのこれからの人生にとって、大きな意味を持つことでしょう。
心から応援してます！
Susumu Hattori 様へ
拝啓 エッセイを読ませて頂きました。若者の一人として年老いたおじい様に、優しく接しておられる光景が眼に浮かぶようです。一世紀を生きて来られた老人とまだやっと20～30年しか生きていない若者の価値観の差はあって当然だと思います。悔いの残らない介護をしてあげて下さい。ただ、それだけです。 敬具
(今年の12月で満67歳を迎える後期高齢者予備軍の一人より)
> Hidemiさん
ありがとうございます！
今どきはともかく、少し昔なら、
僕の年齢で妻子や親を養ってる青年は多かったと思います。
会社を辞めてしまい、ある意味では自分が子供に戻った気がするので、
あまり開き直ることもできません。
それでも、祖父との暮らしからとても多くのことを学んでいます。
Hidemiさんから、励ましのお言葉をいただいて、
これからも頑張っていこうと、決意を新たにしました。
筋向いパンダ様へ
拝啓 お言葉ありがたく頂戴いたします。祖父の語る思い出話以上に、祖父自身の行動そのものから、一世紀の重みを感じることが多い日々です。祖父から学んでいることを心の糧に、悔いのない暮らしを送りたいと思います。お健やかな日々をお過ごし下さい。 敬具
追伸： ある落語家の人が言っていたのですが、「高貴」高齢者と書くのが、本来の表現だそうです！
well, all the best in all things you try … and keep writing!
> Shantanu san
Thank you very much!
I do my best and keep writing!
100歳のおじい様の男気を感じました。老人介護の大変さよりも男同士の温かな共同生活が浮かんできます。介護する側、される側という立場ではなく、同じ目線で描かれているところに好感がもてました。
Thankyou for sharing such beatiful memories.You reminded me of the time when we used to visit our grandparents.The love they would shower on us.
A beautiful essay indeed.
Akimoto 様
本当にありがとうございます！
祖父との暮らしを通して、
たくさんのことを学ばせてもらって、
不安はあっても、
やはり幸せです。
> Nidhii san
Thank you very much!
I am happy to hear that you have remenberd
the time when you visit your grandparents.
I think,
Love is one of the most important feelings in the world.
That is so true ‘love is one of the most important feeling in the world’.The more you spread it the more you get it.
I spoke to my mother yesterday about the essay contest and she was really happy to hear all the stories.I told her about your essay and she was quiet impressed with the fact that even today kids care so much for their grandparents.
Wishing your grandfather all the good health.
Thank you for having told your mother,
both about my essay and about the contest.
I wish your and your mother’s good health!
この作品を読むことができて本当によかったです。
おじいさまとHattoriさんの深い絆と愛が文面ににじみ出ていました。
これからもがんばってください！！
黒澤さん
読んでいただいてありがとうございます！
そう言っていただけると本当にうれしいです。
これからも頑張ろうと思います。