April 7, 2012
“Translation of a ‘happy birthday’ Email from My Father”
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
On April 7th of 2* years ago, I was born into an ordinary middle class family in Fukuoka, Japan. This year, I felt a bit different about my birthday for some kinda reason and felt like writing an email to my parents to thank them for raising me. The message below is my father’s response to my email, which made me cry a bit after I came home from my birthday dinner with my close people and found it in my inbox.
* * *
“I just came back from Buzen (his village) and I was told by your mom that she had spoken with you only a few min ago, so I thought it would be too much if I called again. So, I am writing this email now.
Happy birthday. You are already 2* years old! Time flies! You were supposed to be born in March, but seemed like it was so comfortable to stay in your mom’s tummy and you did not want to come out even after the due date.
Because of the 1-week delay, you kept on growing and all of us started to worry about it. So, on April 5th of 2* years ago, your mom and I decided to go on picnic to a park in Hakata area called San-ou Park to see cherry trees at night, hoping that you might change your mind and decide to be finally born by walking a little bit. To my surprise, it really worked and from the evening on 6th, labor started!
We were so surprised!! Your mom was continuously suffering from labor pain until the next morning. The morning on 7th, I took your mom to a hospital and immediately after dropping her there, I then picked up your grandmother. We were expecting that you would be born very soon, but it didn’t happen. The mother of Mario (my German-Japanese childhood friend) came to the hospital later than us but he was born ahead of you. So, all of us were seriously concerned about the situation and you!!
I think you were born some time in the afternoon after your mom spent more than 4 hours in the delivery room. You really made your mom suffer a lot! While you were making her suffer, her nurses started to yell at her saying “Be strong! You are about to become a mother!!”. Poor her.
Because you were hesitating to come out, I was preparing a camera. But the moment you were born, I was over joyful about your birth and totally forgot to put a film in my camera! I started to “take” so many photos of you but without knowing that the camera was actually empty! Haha
Then your grandmother asked “Masahiro (my father’s name) san, did you put films in?”. This was the moment when I realized that I was “taking photos” in vain. Ouch….. That’s why there are no pictures of the moment you were born.
I wrote enough in this email about the memory of the day you became part of my family. Your mom and I do respect you who set up your own goals and try to achieve them on your own way. We are proud of having you as our daughter.
We don’t want you to push yourself too much or to sacrifice your health by doing so. Well, have a good night.
Please tell Noor jan, “both my wife and I are very thankful for your kindness to organize something for our daughter’s birthday”.
In Japan, only a bit of cherry trees retain flowers nowadays. But remember it is your flower!!
Once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Minako, who was born after 10-day delay. Good night.”
“Translation of a ‘happy birthday’ Email from My Father”
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
On April 7th of 2* years ago, I was born into an ordinary middle class family in Fukuoka, Japan. This year, I felt a bit different about my birthday for some kinda reason and felt like writing an email to my parents to thank them for raising me. The message below is my father’s response to my email, which made me cry a bit after I came home from my birthday dinner with my close people and found it in my inbox.
* * *
“I just came back from Buzen (his village) and I was told by your mom that she had spoken with you only a few min ago, so I thought it would be too much if I called again. So, I am writing this email now.
Happy birthday. You are already 2* years old! Time flies! You were supposed to be born in March, but seemed like it was so comfortable to stay in your mom’s tummy and you did not want to come out even after the due date.
Because of the 1-week delay, you kept on growing and all of us started to worry about it. So, on April 5th of 2* years ago, your mom and I decided to go on picnic to a park in Hakata area called San-ou Park to see cherry trees at night, hoping that you might change your mind and decide to be finally born by walking a little bit. To my surprise, it really worked and from the evening on 6th, labor started!
We were so surprised!! Your mom was continuously suffering from labor pain until the next morning. The morning on 7th, I took your mom to a hospital and immediately after dropping her there, I then picked up your grandmother. We were expecting that you would be born very soon, but it didn’t happen. The mother of Mario (my German-Japanese childhood friend) came to the hospital later than us but he was born ahead of you. So, all of us were seriously concerned about the situation and you!!
I think you were born some time in the afternoon after your mom spent more than 4 hours in the delivery room. You really made your mom suffer a lot! While you were making her suffer, her nurses started to yell at her saying “Be strong! You are about to become a mother!!”. Poor her.
Because you were hesitating to come out, I was preparing a camera. But the moment you were born, I was over joyful about your birth and totally forgot to put a film in my camera! I started to “take” so many photos of you but without knowing that the camera was actually empty! Haha
Then your grandmother asked “Masahiro (my father’s name) san, did you put films in?”. This was the moment when I realized that I was “taking photos” in vain. Ouch….. That’s why there are no pictures of the moment you were born.
I wrote enough in this email about the memory of the day you became part of my family. Your mom and I do respect you who set up your own goals and try to achieve them on your own way. We are proud of having you as our daughter.
We don’t want you to push yourself too much or to sacrifice your health by doing so. Well, have a good night.
Please tell Noor jan, “both my wife and I are very thankful for your kindness to organize something for our daughter’s birthday”.
In Japan, only a bit of cherry trees retain flowers nowadays. But remember it is your flower!!
Once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Minako, who was born after 10-day delay. Good night.”
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