My amazing mother with her amazing mother, late 1950’s Japan.

My grandmother was the first woman in her town to wear pants, ride a bicycle and alongside my grandfather, she raised dozens of children who were orphaned or abandoned after World War II (my mother is the youngest of her four biological children). What they lacked in money they made up for in love, and my mother often says that even the hardest times couldn’t touch their happiness.

I am grateful for my mother, and her mother, and this enduring love that continues to cross generations.

Thank you for teaching me how to love fiercely and unapologetically, how to feel deeply and live passionately. Thank you for passing down your love for laughter, travel, the written word, and for meeting new people.

Thank you for teaching me that every person has a story. This is one of mine. ~shared by @manamistella