A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I invited our daughter and our son in-law to celebrate her birthday at our favorite French restaurant. It was still very hot, so we decided not to invite my parents because of the heat, and our grandson was also at nursery school. We felt a little sorry that they didn't join us, but we had so much fun.

I had been really looking forward to chatting with my daughter. It was my first time having a long conversation with her since we visited Universal Studios with my British friend and his daughter in May. She's a working mom and has always been busy. I really think she's been doing a great job. My mom used to be a working mom as well, so I was raised by my grandparents on my father's side.

I wanted to build a career on my own but I couldn't because of my husband's job. We had to move around from place to place, so I gave up my career. That's why I've been supporting my daughter. I want her to make her dreams come true. During dinner, she told us about some of the difficulties she was having at work. Both my husband and I listened to what she was saying and encouraged her. Nothing in life goes smoothly, and we all have to straggle with obstacles from time to time. I believe that if we want to make our dreams come true, we need to keep going and never give up.

We usually get together with my parents, so when I saw only four plates set on our table, it made me feel a little sad. In December, we'll celebrate my father's 94th birthday at the same restaurant, so I'm looking forward to having another wonderful time together.

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