The Three Nieces +1

Perhaps the thing I'll remember most about summer 2007 is my nieces. I've known them all since they were little ones, but over the last few years our paths have crossed infrequently. My brother Chris and his family are in Morocco, Mutsumi and I here in Japan, and our visits to Atlanta until this year have rarely overlapped.

In fact the last time we saw the girls was three years ago in Aix en Provence, at a time when Chris and his wife Carol were in France preparing for work in Morocco. The two eldest nieces were still kids then. Two weeks ago we had the pleasure to meet the young adult versions.



RACHEL is open and warm, with a quiet charm and welcoming smile that draws you in. She likes the camera - and the camera likes her.


REBEKAH is contemplative. She reads, she writes, and she often reflects before she speaks. There's obviously something going on under the hood. But play with her in the pool and she's all giggles.



SARAH is a ball of energy, animated, vivacious, quick to speak her mind - and after a full day together, tiring.

They are all three lovely individuals and Chris and Carol can be proud to have raised such well-mannered young ladies. I'm sure it wasn't always easy, but anything worth doing rarely is. As we say here in Japan, otsukaresama desu.

Mutsumi and I are looking forward to seeing them again soon. We're also looking forward to meeting our newest niece, due this December from Mutusmi's sister, Narumi, and her husband, Mitsuhiro.

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