Children usually care about what their parents do, but they may not always be aware of just how hard they work day in and day out.

Writer 高殿円 Madoka Takadono (@takadonomadoka), known abroad as the story writer of the 魔界王子 devils and realist (Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist) series and for novels such as 『トッカン 特別国税徴収官』(tokkan tokubetsu kokuzei chōshūkan | Tokkan: Special National Tax Collector) and 『メサイア 警備局特別公安五係』(mesai'a keibikyoku tokubetsu kōan go kakari | Messiah: Special Public Securitu Bureau, Section 5), has a teenage son in junior high school.

One day, her son approached her holding a t-shirt she enjoyed wearing at home, saying, "I've made it more motherly."

It was a plain dark beige pile T-shirt that Takadono had purchased from the fashion brand H&M for 900 JPY (about USD $6.50 at today's rate).

Looking at the t-shirt, she couldn't help but notice a small but important change:

Reproduced with permission from 高殿円 Madoka Takadono (@takadonomadoka)

He had sewn a patch on the t-shirt in the shape of a battery level indicator such as the ones often seen on smartphones and other devices.

And the funny thing was it displayed only 1% remaining.

It would seem that in this family, Takadono's son was fully aware of her mother's dedication to her work. For him, it was her hardworking nature that defined what was "motherly" about her. Perhaps he added the patch to both show his recognition and poke a bit of fun at the way her mother always pushes herself to her limits.

Many people laughed at this loving way of teasing, leaving comments such as:

  • "So this is what 'motherly' means from your son's point of view!"
  • "I laughed. You're putting all your energy into your work!"
  • "Time for a quick charge!"
  • "It's simple but he definitely has a sense of humor. I want one."

Incidentally, here's the version her son made for himself:

Reproduced with permission from 高殿円 Madoka Takadono (@takadonomadoka)

He bought the T-shirt separately from the fashion brand GU, and attached a different patch he had bought on Amazon.

It's sure to bring a smile to their faces if both mother and son wear their T-shirts together!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.