My eldest student, Kaoru-san, passed away on April 18th at the age of 100.
I still remember her words when she first came to me:
“My youngest granddaughter is five years old and is going to start learning English, so I want to be able to speak with her.”
Her 100-year life was full of experiences—work, love, adventures, and challenges.
I always enjoyed listening to her unique and fascinating stories with her classmates in class.
Kaoru-san, I truly respect you, and I feel honored to have been your teacher.

My youngest student is a three-year-old girl. She would give me such a sweet smile, and then suddenly burst into tears—today, twice during our time together. I couldn’t understand why her feelings changed so quickly, but in both moments, I felt like my heart was melting.