I Wish I Could Say “Thank You”

Also known as: Arigatou tte Ieta nara, ありがとうって 言えたなら, Si te pudiera decir «Gracias», Te dire merci

by Yukari Takinami

How do you say “thank you” and “goodbye” to a woman who has been domineering and difficult her whole life? Especially when that woman is your mother! Yukari had long struggled in a chaotic love-hate relationship with her mother Chieko, so when her mother is diagnosed with advanced stage pancreatic cancer with just months to live, she is faced with a difficult situation. Takinami honestly recounts the turmoil created by this announcement from her sister Nao without ever descending into pathos. At first she thinks of the practical – where should her mother be, who’s going to look after her, how can I with my work and my child? Then slowly she starts to face the fact of losing this energetic woman who had never even caught a cold to her memory! After years marked by difficult communication, will they now manage to overcome their conflicts and say what’s truly in their hearts before it’s too late? (Source: Ponent Mon)