🌐Purple Bead Ring | Daily Slips and Trips
This is the English version of the original Japanese essay.
Original Japanese version available here.
The ring that was a keepsake from my father, which my mother lost
My many hobbies are a result of my mother's influence.
My mother has a wide range of hobbies, including dressmaking, knitting, doll making, Japanese sewing, and leather crafting. She is the type of person who isn't satisfied unless she reaches a certain level of proficiency in them.
I feel like I learned how to work with my hands by watching her.
I visit my mother's care home every two weeks. Due to the lingering effects of COVID, permission for weekly visits hasn't been granted yet. Last time, my sister went to visit our mother with her husband. Since visits are limited to two people at a time, I had to sit that one out.
When my sister and I went to the home together, she told me something. The ring that was a keepsake from our father, which our mother cherished, had fallen off because her fingers had become thinner. She didn't notice it, and it seems it never turned up.
My mother's left ring finger looked somewhat lonely.
My hobby is making bead accessories. I took off the handmade bead ring I was wearing at the time and said,
"Your finger looks lonely, so please wear this."
When I said that, my mother shook her hands vigorously to refuse.
"I don't have much time left, so I don't need it."
That is what she said.
The wristwatch she wouldn't ask for
It was the same thing before. Because the band of her wristwatch was an accordion style, it was fraying her sleeves, and she hated that. Even though she would be in trouble without a watch, she held it in her hand instead of wearing it on her wrist.
It looked inconvenient. I was surprised she didn't lose it often.
Even so, she wouldn't ask us for a new one, saying, "I don't have much time left."
I felt a heaviness in my chest.
So, I bought her a new watch that was as close to her ideal as possible, one that wouldn't make her feel burdened even if she asked the price.
My mother forgot what she had said before and was overjoyed, acting like a child. That was how she ended up accepting the watch.
I wonder how it will go this time.
The purple bead ring I have on hand
Purple eustomas. A purple top. A purple wallet.
Whenever we gave gifts to our mother, who loved purple, we always kept that in mind.
I thought I would give her a purple bead ring I had made myself from my collection, as I didn't want to make something special and have her feel obligated or say she didn't need it.
I had planned to bring the bead ring to my mother during this visit. However, she developed a fever on the scheduled day.
Because I had always thought of my mother as someone who would live forever, I froze.
I wrote to my sister, who gave me the news, via LINE, asking her to let me know if there was any further information.
She replied, "It seems she still has an appetite."
I replied, "Oh, that's a relief," for the time being.
Let's go see her while we still can.
My sister says this.
"You don't want to regret not visiting her more often, right? Let's go see her while we still can."
I think that is true.
I plan to go see my mother next time, once she has recovered. I will bring the purple bead ring she loves.
