At five years, children are barely learning to use a spoon for eating, but five-year-old Hana-Chan had a different life at this age.
At this tender age, the little tot was doing the chores and cooking for her family all by herself.
Her heart-breaking yet inspiring story will definitely bring tears to your eyes.
Little Hana-Chan’s inspiring yet heartbreaking story
Hana-Chan’s mom, Chie was a breast cancer survivor and was married to Shingo Yasutake. When Chie had lost all hope of having a baby, the couple was blessed with a lovely daughter.
Elated with the baby’s birth, Chie, who loved to jot down her thoughts and feelings, wrote on her blog: “Meeting my daughter is indeed a miracle in my life. I treasure her with all my life, more than I love myself.”
While Chie felt that everything was getting only better, life had some other plans. Her cancer relapsed when Hana was barely nine months old.
Battling death on one hand, she continued to express her thoughts through her blog.
She wrote: “Whether I have cancer or not, I’m supposed to die first. It can’t be the other way around. This is why I have to die without any regrets.”
At the same time, she wanted to leave Hana with something worthwhile.
One of the blog entries says: “I want to make my daughter able to do as much as she can by herself. I just want to help her so that one day, when she becomes independent, she can take care of herself.”
She felt that she must teach basic life skills to her daughter.
In her blog, she says: “Hana-Chan, knowing how to cook is important in your life. I would teach you how to handle knives and do household chores. Your education is not complete without knowing these survival skills. As long as you’re healthy and independent, you can survive anywhere.”
As soon as Hana turned four years and was able to hold a knife, Chie gifted her an apron and began to teach her cooking.
Chie passed away in 2008, igniting a flame in Hana’s heart, to achieve the impossible:
When Hana-Chan was barely five, her mommy Chie left this world. However, Chie’s legacy remains.
She had done her job well as Hana was turning out to be great at running the house. Hana remembers everything that her mom taught: a Miso soup recipe that Chie taught her is Hana’s specialty.
She also wrote a heartfelt letter to Chie.
Hana says: “I want to tell you something. I can make a whole bento now. Aren’t you surprised? I don’t cry anymore. I’m doing my best.”
Hana’s routine was obviously quite different from that of her friends.
In the morning she would get ready, have breakfast, feed and walk her pet dog and take piano lessons before going to pre-school.
After coming back she would finish the laundry, clean the bathtub, cook dinner for her father and complete her homework. Even at that young age, Hana-Chan was an independent girl and in-charge of taking care of the family.
Shingo turned Chie’s inspirational blog into a book
Shingo wanted to remind Hana about how Chie faced all the challenges in life and hence he thought of publishing a book.
Chie’s blog-turned-book is called ‘Hana-Chan no Miso Shiru: 8 Life lessons from Yasutake family.’ He hopes that Hana also turns out to be like Chie.
The book is not only a symbol of Chie’s unconditional love towards her only daughter but also an example of how a determined mom managed to prolong her passing away to get some extra time with her beloved girl.
The book is one of the best-sellers in Japan from where the family belongs. It is also adapted into a movie with the same title.
Hats off to this mother-daughter duo!
Source and Images: Good Times
Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore
