I’m Yoko, mother of two daughters. My eldest, Miyuki (28), is married with a child, and my youngest, Aya (21), just started working and lives on her own. Ten years ago, I lost my husband and raised them by myself. Now that both are independent, we rarely get to see each other. That’s why I was really looking forward to having them home for New Year’s. But then Aya said she wouldn’t come back. When I scolded her, she snapped and said she would “quit being my daughter”… I was left speechless after the call.
What did I do wrong? All I ever did was work desperately to raise my children. I know I wasn’t a perfect mother—I’m only human and I made mistakes. But I truly poured my love into them. So why would my own daughter say something that cuts me off like this? I couldn’t understand. I convinced myself she must have been misled by bad friends, poisoned with the wrong values. I couldn’t sit still—I called Aya over and over, dozens of times. But she never answered.