This spring marks the 5th anniversary of the Single Mothers’ Sisterhood’s Mother’s Day Campaign. To celebrate this milestone, we’re revisiting the voices of women who have contributed essays over the years. In this special interview series, we catch up with them to hear where life has taken them since. Our third guest is Minako Goto, who’s been part of the campaign since the very beginning. Minako believes in the power of words and listens closely to her own voice.

I was surprised when a writer interviewing me online for the first time said, “Satojun, you’re such a powerful person.”At the time, I didn’t feel powerful at all. That fall, when I was 37, I found out I was pregnant. But my partner didn’t want me to have the baby. For the next two months, I struggled with the decision. My parents and friends were all against it. Looking back, I understand—it was because they cared deeply about me and the baby. The only one who supported my

Our second spotlight is on Junko Sato, who has written three essays for the campaign. A solo mother by choice, Junko has raised her daughter while working full-time and overcoming breast cancer surgery. Along the way, she and her daughter have also faced social prejudice related to her daughter’s appearance—yet together, they have kept moving forward.

Thank you, Kyoko, for taking the time to share your story with us. Each of your essays beautifully captured the perspective and struggles you were experiencing at the time. Today, as we revisit those words together, I’m excited to hear more about what you felt, how you have changed, and what lies ahead. When you look back at the essays you wrote, what thoughts and feelings come up? The World Looked Gray When I think back to the time I wrote my first essay, the world seemed

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