Monday, April 06, 2009

卒業 Graduation

三月、四月は卒業と新たな出発の季節です。我が家でも、長い学生生活を終えた息子が北の小さな都市に旅立ってゆきました。とんでもない時間にメシと言い、リビングでばかり勉強する人間がいなくなり、私には数年ぶりに一人の自由な時間と空間が戻ってきましたので、たまっている未完成品を仕上げていこうと深呼吸をしているところです。

March is a graduating month in Japan. We starts new term in April. After a long college life, my son I was feeding has finally left home to work as a resident in a north hospital. Now I have got back my time and space fo my CQ.

母の卒業アルバムのこのページもずっと手付かずでしたが、何とか終わらせました。しかしこの写真の撮られた卒業式は実は3月ではなく、昭和16年の12月でした。直前に日本軍による真珠湾攻撃で太平洋戦争が始まり、卒業は慌ただしく繰り上げられ、母もそのまま松本女子師範に教師として赴任しました。緊張した面持ちは卒業という自分の人生の節目というだけでなく、時代への危機感もあったのでしょう。

I've finished this page of Mother's albumn. The photo was taken when she graduated from college. But it was not March but December of previous year, 1941. Japanese military had attacked the Pearl Harbor and the war had begun. The graduation was moved up and she went to be a teacher in Matsumoto, Nagano. She must have been strained by changes of her own life and the period.



あまり年の違わないお姉さん先生であった母を、当時の教え子だった方たちは今も懐かしんでお便りをくれます。先生も生徒もいまや80歳をとうに越えています。母は最初の授業のとき、黒板にまず「若きが故に尊し」という言葉を書いたと、誰かがと教えてくれました。時代が暗い方向に向かい始めたときこそ、若い可能性を大切にということだったのでしょうか?

She was very young then and her students were just like her younger sisters. They loved their young teacher so much and still writes to her. One of them taught me that she wrote on the blackboard "Youth should be respected." at her first lesson. I don't know if it was her small protest and message for that dark time.



次のページを用意しました。これは女学校の入学式ではないかと思います。これもいつものように、ゆっくり仕上げることになるでしょう。
I've prepared another page. She must be a high school student then.

9 comments:

Ati said...

Beautiful done Hideko. There speaks much love from you mother blocks.
You have inspired me to make a mother-grandmothers fabric book :)

Kathy Raker said...

A beautiful block of your mother, shows your love and respect for her. The oyas and crochet butterfly are wonderful.

Rengin Yazitas said...

Dear Hideko,
Congratulations with your son's graduation. You must be so proud of him.
I admired your new works, thanks so much for sharing them. I also would like to thank you for using oyas on a special project. If you don't mind, I would like to give a link on to my blog.
Best wishes from Istanbul,
Rengin

Cathy said...

Very beautiful, Hideko. What a lovely tribute to your mother. Hugs, Cathy

Hideko Ishida said...

Thank you very much for compliments from all. Rengin, I've picked up white oyas from yours. They are very nice here. I was going to stitch more leaves around them first but felt they might disturb the simple beauty of oya flowers. Of course please link here on your blog. I appreciate it. Hideko

Anonymous said...

Hideko, this will be a wonderful piece to keep memories for your mother and family--it inspires me. Congratualtions on the graduation of your son! I think the parents deserve much credit for this, don't you?
Lynn, SoCal

Anonymous said...

Beautiful page. That's one of my favorites of the pictures you've shown of your mom, that one and the wedding picture with your dad.

I would not have liked to be a young person on either side of the conflict that took place. I'm only glad we our two countries usually work together now.

Patricia said...

Hideko, those blocks are lovely. How nice to honor your mother with your beautiful work. I will be following to see more, so glad I found you through Rengin's blog.
Pat
Patricia Rose-A Potpourri of Fabric, Fragrance and Findings
www.patriciarose-apotpourri.com
www.patriciarose-apotpourriof.blogspot.com

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