Happy Mother’s Day!
What will you say? “Happy Mother’s Day! I love you!” Maybe “You are the best! Thank you!”
How do you tell and show your appreciation to your mother? Will you give her a card? a gift? hug?
What will I say to my mother?
In Japan, we say “Thank you, Mother!”, instead of saying”I love you. ” Generally speaking Japanese, including me, are not used to express affection with words directly.
The word, “love” covers wider than “love” that Japanese use in our daily life. Love translated in to “ai, “aishiteru, aisuru.” There are many kinds of love of family, love for nature, love of God, love between man and woman. Only between man and woman in close relation, we use the word ” love.”
” I love you,” is the best known English among Japanese, even children know the meaning,” 私はあなたを愛しています。watashi wa anata wo aishiteimasu.“ Usually, it’s what we expect/assume a man to a woman he loves.
So it’s so uncomfortable to say to my parents to say.” I love you, Mom,” Or I am too shy to say to express my love to my parents because they are too close to express my emotions and feelings in words.
We have an old saying, “Ishin Denshin; 以心伝心”. shin is heart and mind.
That means we can communicate from heart to hear without words. You may think it’s rediculous but we are trained to read atomosphere and observe facial expressions and gestures, you believe that?
It’s obvious that I love my mother so I don’t have to say or my mother doesn’t have to hear that.
Expressing gratitude is one of form of expressing love. In other words, “Arigato: thank you” means more than just “Thank you.” sometimes.
I have been living in the States for 10 years so it’s a little strange for me not to express my love in words directly. I have been influenced by American culture, which I respect and want to learn from.
Learning a foreign language and culture expand our way of thinking and enable us to creats a new sense of values.
I will say to my mother,” お母さん ありがとう！ Okasan Arigatou. “ in Japanese, and “I love you.” That’s the best to express my feeling now.
She will be happy!
日本語 にほんご Japanese
母の日 ははのひ ;Haha no hi
母 はは ；mother
お母さん おかあさん； O ka a san mother
ありがとう arigato(u); thank you.
以心 伝心 いしん でんしん These 4- kanji word describes the Japanese way of communication. Silent communication.
Non-verbal communication
心 しん （こころ）； heart