This morning, I had a session with one of my students, T. I always enjoy our conversations. He’s passionate about drawing, keeping a journal, learning about finance and stocks. He loves Nagano—and dreams of making it richer, safer, and a better place for everyone. He also wants a life where he can support himself, but still have time for his hobbies and interests.
Life is short, and it’s beautiful.
Of course, many people work eight hours a day, five days a week. But that doesn’t mean everyone has to follow the same path.
I hope T becomes a role model, showing others how to live a life filled with interests and passion—not just routine.
Later, I attended a gathering focused on life and death—a group of remarkable people, many of whom support bereaved families, some who have lost loved ones themselves. I learned that each year, about 720,000 babies are born in Japan, but about 1,620,000 people die. When you see the numbers, you realize how important it is for us to care for each other. Life really is like a flower—fragile, precious, and fleeting.
In the late afternoon, we held a kids’ Easter egg hunt at Bell Park. Our American friends, John and Kim, prepared 1,000 colorful candy eggs and 100 hot dogs—just like they do every year. Their love for Japan is truly tangible.
We all need a resurrection experience—a chance to start fresh, to find hope again.