“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I stand with my mother in the doorway, as my father leaves for another day at the helm of the small family business.
Life revolved around the business. My father frequently took me to his office and often hosted his employees in our home. Being but a small child, I could not understand business or the role of a CEO, but I felt proud of my father.
Then came the day that comes to all men. That morning, my mother and I watched as my father drove away. We waved goodbye, as was our custom. This would be my last memory of him.
That evening he collapsed in his office – acute heart failure. I was 10.
My mother had no business experience or aptitude for management, but she succeeded him in the running of the business. Managing a corporation while raising a child would prove to be arduous.
I could not comprehend why she would undertake such an endeavor.
After reaching manhood, I finally asked her, "Why?"
"I believed that my role was to follow in your father's path, to pass the company, his legacy, to you in the best condition."
Her reply was an epiphany. I continue the legacy.
— Keima Ueno