The Axe Forgets but the Tree Remembers: A Heartfelt Tale of Perseverance and Dreams

Lucas Rainfall

Updated Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 12:00 AM CDT

In a touching post that has garnered over 86,000 notes on Tumblr, user "afeelgoodblog" shares a poignant tweet from Makiko Itoh (伊藤牧子) with the Twitter handle "@makiwi." The tweet features a conversation from 26 years ago between a young flutist and his mother:

“‘Mom! I can play Zelda’s treasure chest sound on my flute!’

Mom: ‘Games again? Stop wasting your time! Go and study!’

I want to let my dejected young self back then that 26 years later, you’ll be playing the flute in the Zelda remake.’

- Professional flutist Ichiro Takijun.”

This nostalgic exchange captures the essence of childhood dreams and the often underappreciated journey toward achieving them. The post also includes a Japanese reply from Ichiro Takijun (多久潤一郎):

「♩ ゼルダド～♩」

「はっ！お母さーん、笛でゼルダの宝箱の音が吹けた！」

Below the tweet, "afeelgoodblog" adds an inspiring caption: "Never get discouraged when chasing your dreams."

The post has resonated deeply with many, as evidenced by the heartfelt comments. User "hst3000" from "wanderer-chronicles" reflects on the long-lasting impact of parental words: "I'd bet money that his mom doesn't remember this exchange at all. But he carried it for a quarter of a century."

Another user, "sexb***omb," adds: "The axe forgets 🪓but the tree remembers, and whew my parents must have been lumberjacks."

This image and its accompanying story highlight the enduring power of memories and the importance of perseverance in the face of doubt. It serves as a reminder that what might seem trivial to one person can be a defining moment for another.

Many users shared their personal experiences in the comments, echoing similar sentiments of overcoming doubt and misunderstanding from their parents. One user recalls being discouraged from pursuing creative endeavors, only to find success and fulfillment later in life. Another shared a painful memory of a parent's dismissive comment that lingered for decades.

Ichiro Takijun's journey from a discouraged young flutist to a professional musician playing in a Zelda remake is a testament to the importance of following one's passion, despite obstacles and discouragement. This story encourages readers to hold on to their dreams and reminds them that every step, no matter how small, is part of a larger journey.

Whether it's about learning an instrument, pursuing a creative career, or simply seeking validation, the message is clear: never let go of your dreams, for they are worth the pursuit. This post, with its blend of nostalgia and inspiration, continues to touch the hearts of many and serves as a beacon of hope for those chasing their own aspirations.

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View source: Imgur

Top Comments from Imgur

Sechran

At her funeral, he'll play the Zelda Game Over theme.

AR33

If you've got it, flautist

OriginalAndWitty

There have been a few instances where I bring up to my parents "Remember this traumatic thing from my past I will definitely remember to my grave?" and they're like "No, WTF are you talking about?". Yup, that's why I live 2000 miles away from you people.

Illithidbane

So what if it's video game music? The kid was learning an instrument.

rusaide

I used to hate my dad because it always seemed like he never wanted to talk to me and was always angry at me. Once I moved out and got a little therapy, I realized that he has almost the exact same autism that I do, and we just didn't know how to talk to each other. Now we're both massive nerds over the same things, and we spend hours and hours talking about things that we love. It's worth remembering sometimes that your parents are just as much real humans that make mistakes as you are.

InkGoat

I remember when my mom said "I praise God every day that we were able to help you kids pay for college so none of you have college debt." She cried when I pointed out that I had almost 100k in debt because she took my scholarship money to live on and made me take every loan I possibly could. She refused to believe me. "Pretend it's not true and you won't have to think about it" is how they dealt with everything. They don't even remember three of their grandkids who died young.

TheRealPhoenix

The mom doesn't remember? Ha! Pretty sure she is doing mental gymnastic and goes by "we've been always supportive" now he's successful.

alltheLalz

I met a women, who was about 80 years at the time, who told me story from when she was 8 years old. It was about the first time she tried putting on makeup. She was sitting in front of a mirror, concentrating while putting different stuff on, when her mom passed by and remarked "You look like a clown." Every day since then, when she put on her makeup, she would think those same words when looking in the mirror - every day, for 72 years.

Glitterfartjuice

My father always disliked video games. I learned very early that it's best to just not talk about them to him. I am now 40 with a 10yo daughter, and we play video games together all the time. A couple years ago he came to me saying he's concerned about how much my daughter talks about video games, and he thinks I should get her interested in some "more productive" hobbies. I've been through all this before so I told her she should just avoid talking about video games with grandpa.

Druidhunter77

I once made the mistake of mentioning how I wanted to try my hand at content creation on YouTube to my mom back around 2010 or so. She told me to never do that, and that I would end up like my cousin. My cousin is a drug addict who suffers with an addiction problem, and happened to also attempt YouTube as a source of income. I never did attempt it, but am only just now starting to try my hand at it, after 14 years. Mom doesn’t even remember saying any of that to me.