I Want to be Like Tohru Honda

Recently I reread all of the series Fruits Basket, and it made me realize a few things.

First, I'm an emotional weepy mess of tears and shouldn't read it in public, and second, we have a lot to learn from Tohru and how she treats people.

Her life has not been easy. She lost her dad when she was young, and talks like him (very formal and polite) as not to lose his memory, and to keep her mom in high spirits. She loses her mom while she's about to start high school, and it shapes the entire story.

Still, despite her grief, she faces the day with a smile and works harder than everyone to make sure her friends are smiling. When she cries it's for other people, and never for herself.

She gives 110% to make sure everyone is happy, even if she works herself sick.

The story is a lot deeper than that, but I want everyone to enjoy the story fully for what it is, and I encourage everyone to read it. 

There's a subtlety in how Takaya ages the characters, and it's beautifully drawn. Watching all of the characters grow and evolve together was one of the greatest treats of the entire series.

We can learn a lot from people like Tohru Honda, who takes adversity and shows it what's what, facing it with a smile and hard work.

Who doesn't want to be like that?

I know I have a lot of work to do to get there.

Let's help each other.