I’m a Guest Again! + Hitomi Remembers Her Father

Thank you, Francisco Bravo Cabrera (he’s an artist/poet/blogger who has guested before at Happiness Between Tails) for posting about me yet again! He runs and edits multiple sites. Last week he published an interview with me at one of them. Shortly afterwards, he posted it at another… 

#art, FEATURES by VALENCIARTIST: da-Al

Today’s guest blog post is thanks to Hitomi, who blogs from Japan. Much of her site is devoted to memories of her father. Each compact post is an arrow of affection. They capture simple moments of all kinds of love and honor how beautiful life can be, even amid challenges. Reading open-hearted stories like hers is one of the many ways I remind myself how lucky I m to be alive…

Hi, I’m Hitomi! I live in Japan…

I’ve been a bookworm since I was a child.

I was an introvent.

So I’m not good at talking.

But I’m skilled at writing.

I studied cognitive psychology at university.

I’m interested in social issues, environmental issues, and spiritual matters.

I’ve finished caring for my parents and am searching for my next step in life.

I live here!

In the morning I can hear the birds chirping.

I see birds such as sparrows, swallows, ducks, egrets and so on.

I’m sure there are more birds than humans here!

I was writing blogs about my father with lots of humor.

Today I would like to introduce my cooking, too.

I cooked this!

This is the memorial offering tray on the 49 days since death and death anniversary.

We call it “Oryogu”.

Menu

Rice with small red beans

Miso-soup with radish and carrot

Kidney beans

Salad of rape blossoms

Boiled food (taro, bamboo, shoots, carrot, green beens and konjac)

They are made with vegetables.

The soup stock is also made from mushrooms and seaweed.

The deceased are forced to become vegetarians in Japan!

Tableware is also reserved for them.

These are my father Yoshi-jii’s episodes.

Episode 1

I called out to my father Yoshi-jii.

“I’m going shopping. Is there anything you want?”

He answered soon.

“Peaceful earth😊”

That’s not sale.

Episode 2

Recently Yoshi-jii only took a bath once or twice a month.

But he decided to take a bath every Sunday.

“I maybe get a girlfriend.”

He is 88years old.

He gave up in one day.

Episode 3

Yoshi-jii went to the bank to get a cash card.

Cash cards were available in seven different designs.

“The dog design is nice!”

He who was born in the year of the dog, pointed out.

“That is a polar bear.”

I said.

“I thought it was a dog.”

Should I have him undergo another cataract operation?”

Episode 4

Yoshi-jii is hard of hearing and can’t hear the phone ring.

He usually turns off his phone’s power.

He only turns it on where he makes a call.

It also saves on electricity bills which is great.

Episode 5

“The dog food is full of nutrition!”

Yoshi-jii said to me with a giggle when I was eating granola.

It seems that he can only see granola as dog food.

Therefore he finds it funny to see me eating it deliciously.

Episode 6

When Yoshi-jii tried to take the medicine, he dropped it.

And he thought.

“I had no luck.”

Episode 7

Yoshi-jii asks me.

“Is tomorrow today?”

I can’t understand what he means.

Episode 8

Yoshi-jii’s son had a fever but he tested negative for coronavirus.

Yoshi-jii said his life expectancy has been shorted by three years.

He is 88years old.

How long will he live?

My father Yoshi-jii passed away after a long 90-year story.

I ask him in my heart.

“Is there anything you want?”

The words of my late father come back to me.

“Peaceful earth😊”

“I’m alive！”was my father’s favorite phrase.

When I asked him how he was, he replied “I’m alive！”

He couldn’t answer that he was fine.

But “I’m alive！”

Our family lost our house and most of our belongings seven year ago.

We were hit by a heavy rain disaster.

We were able to evacuate quickly and were saved.

However some of the neighbors were unable to escape.

We are alive！

We are living and doing and feeling things everyday!

Today we will continue to move forward.

As long as I’m alive！

I’m alive！

How do you remind yourself to see the beauty in life?