Becoming
Mama-San
80 Years of Wisdom
Mary Matsuda Gruenewald
NEWSAGE PRESS
Troutdale, Oregon
BECOMING MAMA-SAN: 80 YEARS OF WISDOM
Copyright © 2013 Mary Matsuda Gruenewald
ISBN 978-0-93916-563-6
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher.
NEWSAGE PRESS
PO Box 607
Troutdale, OR 97060-0607
503-695-2211
Cover and interior design by Sherry Wachter.
This book is also available as an ebook.
Distributed to bookstores by Perseus Books (Publishers Group West).
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gruenewald, Mary Matsuda, 1925-Becoming mama-san : 80 years of wisdom / by Mary Matsuda Gruenewald.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Gruenewald, Mary Matsuda, 1925- 2. Conduct of life. I. Title.
> BJ1547.5.G78A3 2013
> 170’.44--dc23
> 2013006038
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
For Mama-San
Acknowledgments
With new projects come new reasons for feeling grateful and expressing appreciation. I continue to feel supported and cared for by my writing teacher, Brenda Peterson, and my publisher, Maureen R. Michelson, as well as my classmates Meredith Bailey, Kathryn Barrett, Pamela Dodson, and Kimberly Richardson, among others.
My special thanks to Miyoko Matsuda, my sister-in-law, and Martha Matsuda, my daughter, for accompanying me to Japan in 2006 (among many other reasons). My hosts in Japan made extraordinary efforts on my behalf. Thanks to Donna Fujimoto in Osaka; Marie Tsuruda, Caroline Lloyd, and Naomi Fujishima in Hiroshima; and Samantha Lim at the Tokyo American Club. Masako Iino laid the foundation for my trip two years earlier, and visiting her at Tsuda College was one of many highlights of the trip. My friend Yoshiko Koga-san gave generously of her time, including guiding us on an amazing tour of Tokyo to visit important historical sites.
Meeting my relatives from Japan for the first time was a life-altering experience for me. The generosity of Muneaki Horie and his wife, Kayoko, was astounding. It was also a pleasure to meet their two sons, Munekazu and Toshihiro. We went with them as their guests to the famous Buddhist monastery at Koyasan for a vegetarian meal, a tradition Japanese public bath, and overnight accommodations on traditional Japanese futons. Most amazing of all was meeting Muneaki’s mother, Shizuko Horie. Being received into her home was like meeting the sister I never had.
Hiroshi and Sadako Kashiwagi, and their son, Soji, came into my life at the perfect moment. We helped each other heal our final wounds from the internment experience, and we remain close friends.
I get much of my energy from my special friends, some of whom I have known for decades: Wendy Noritake, Glenda Pearson, Linda Ando, Jan Crosman, and especially John Runyan. I thank all of you for your kindness and support.
It has been a privilege watching my four nieces grow into fine role models: Marlene Fong, Kathryn Nagao, Marguerite Sandico, and Sheila Chan. You and your families are a delight and an ongoing source of joy for me.
As for my immediate family, I couldn’t be more grateful. Martha, David, and Ray, I am incredibly proud of each of you as you continue on your life journeys, being true to yourselves. I have enjoyed watching you develop into wonderful human beings, from the time you were born until now, as I move into my elder years. My deepest thanks go to my brother Yoneichi, my father Papa-san, and of course, Mama-san. They are all long-since deceased, but they still live in my heart and continue to teach me life’s most important lessons.
Contents
THE PRIVILEGE OF A SIMPLE LIFE
DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH GRATITUDE
A GOOD DEATH IS PART OF A GOOD LIFE