Spoke to Largo today and the subject of her mother came up. I asked Largo why she respected her mother so much, and she said that it was because her mother, Yuki-san, used to give her really good advice. The funny thing was that she always gave advice when she was mending clothes. Largo told me one conversation they had that was really inspirational for her.

“Live the life you want to. Live in luxury, and give yourself the luxuries you can afford, because you only get one life and you should make the best of it. Do the things you say you want to do, as long as they don’t hurt others. Say the words you want to say, as long as they don’t hurt anyone. Appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. With the right mindset, even a rusted fence can be beautiful in its own style. “

“You must enjoy yourself, no matter what you’re doing. And if you can’t do that, don’t give yourself time to complain or to reflect on how tired you are, how busy you are, how painful things are. Don’t look up and feel overwhelmed by the distance to your goals; just take it step by step and you will be there before you know it. Enjoy the process of doing, instead of just striving for the product. When learning something, do not become frustrated with not grasping the answer. Learn to enjoy the effort you spend to get that answer. Then, you will appreciate the product more.”

“Your accomplishments and success should not be measured by the words of those around you. As long as one person knows your victory, your strength… as long as one person appreciates that you told the truth or that you controlled yourself, that is enough. Even when no one appreciates your pain, it doesn’t mean the pain isn’t there or that the pain isn’t making you stronger. Sometimes, the things that shape our hearts most hurt the most and are suffered alone.”

“Everyone needs their own sanctuary. A room filled with their favorite things, where they can invite their favorite people, where they can eat their favorite foods while listening to their favorite music. Life will never be perfect, so you should try to create that tiny room of perfect moments. A person without a home like that is like a flying bird with no place to land. That is the saddest person- the one who has no one to greet them when they return, the one who has nowhere to return to…”

Yuki-san’s words, spoken over the sound of the sewing machine running slowly, will stay with both me and Largo for a long time. They are the most precious heirloom she could give to her daughter, and now Largo gives them to me.

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