25年ぶりに訪れたアメリカでの11日の間に、感動的な再会、そして数多くの新しい出会いがありました。
たくさんのことを考え、学び、 深い感謝の気持ちとともに帰国しました。・・・
After 11 days of my visit to America for the first time in 25 years, I came back to Tokyo with my suitcase filled with lots of lots of precious & priceless memories of the very impressive family reunions, great meetings with new nephews and nieces who were born after I visited the USA 25 years ago, seeing many good friends again after long time and meeting new friends in Maryland & other States in America.
この旅の中での私の一番の収穫は、「人生において起こる出来事は決して ”たまたま” とか “偶然”に起こる事ではなく、必ず起こるべくして起こっている必然であり、人生における出来事には、すべて意味がある。」 （There are no coincidences in our life.）というホストマザーの言葉でした。
「３０年前にホストマザーとしてあなたに出会えた事も、そして今回、あなたがKoichiと共に再びアメリカに会いに来てくれた事も、決して偶然、だったり、”たまたま”このタイミングであったのでは決してないと私は信じてるの。そして、あなたという娘を持てたことを神様に感謝しているわ。」 と言いながら、私を見つめる彼女の眼は限りなく優しく輝いていました。
One of the BEST & MOST WONDERFUL lessons that I learned during this trip was the words that my host mother has given to me during my stay with her in July, 2011. She said to me, “Mami, there are no coincidences in our life.” What she meant by her words is that every occurrence that happens in our life does not happen just by coincidence, but every event in our life is inevitable and planned to happen. She also said, “The fact that I met you 30 years ago as your host mother & the fact that you & your husband could come back to see us again at this occasion did not happen by chance nor by coincidence, but I believe these events happened because they were all planned to happen. We feel very blessed to have you as our daughter and praise the Lord for what HE is doing in our life! Every event in our life has its special meaning to occur!” Her eyes had very loving look when she told me the above words, which touched my heart so much.
３０年前の留学時に家族の一員として私を沢山愛してくれたホストファミリーとの出会いや経験は、その後の私の人生に大きな影響を与え、今日に至り、そして、こうして３０年の月日を経て、また新たなる多くの出会いに繋がっています。
My experience as a high school exchange student 30 years ago has meant a lot to me, and this experience has made a great influence on my life after 1 year in America up until now. All have started when Mom & Dad kindly decided to have me as their daughter, and this experience has been followed by many more wonderful encounters with lots of lovely & fascinating people who have become so special in my life.
そして奇しくも、3.11大震災の直後に渡米することになった私は、現地にて 「まけないぞう」を紹介することを通じ、多くの方々の暖かいお心に触れることが出来ました。これは、やはり決して”偶然”こうなったのではなく、この時期に このようにまけないぞうさんをより多くの方々にご紹介することにより、日本の被災地の皆さんの支援につなげていく運命だったのだと、今 素直に思えます。
And then, it ended up that I went back to America about three and a half months after 3.11 Earthquake & tsunami hit Northeastern Japan. During my stay in America, I got so much touched by the very warm words, heartfelt empathy & prayers by many American families & friends through introducing Never give up elephants to them. I am totally sure that this sequence of the events did NOT occur by coincidence, but I strongly feel & believe that it was planned to happen, and was a destiny & blessing for me to go back to the States in July in 2011, so that I could support the affected people in Northeastern part of Japan by introducing Never give up elephants to the families & friends in America.
この運命を日本人は”ご縁”と呼ぶのではないでしょうか？そして、この”ご縁”は決して偶然の賜物ではなく、”天から我々への特別な贈り物”のようなものだと私は感じています。
このご縁を通じて広がる人と人との絆をこれからも大切にしながら、「まけないぞう」をより多くの世界の人たちに知っていただけるように新しい形のボランティア活動 （makenaizone活動）をmakenaizoneのメンバーのみんなと共に末永く続けて行こうと思っています。
誰よりもその「まけないぞう」から元気と力をいただいているのが、何を隠そうこの私なのですから…
I think we Japanese people might consider this destiny as “Go En”. I also believe that “Go En” is not a coincidental type of product, but it is something like the special gift from the Lord!
I’d like to keep cherishing the precious ties with the family members & friends which were developed & created by the special gift of the bonding with them, and I would like to continue trying my best to introduce Makenaizo (Never give up elephants) to more & more people in the world as one of the members of “makenaizone”, so that I could be of some help to support the affected people by 3.11 Earthquake & tsunami to step forward in their life going forward.
As a matter of fact, I myself as a supporter of Makenaizo, am the one who is mostly energized and gets the motivation & power in my life from Never give up elephants.
青木先生、被災地NGO恊働センター代表の村井さんをはじめとするmakenaizoneの皆さま全員とのご縁に心より感謝しながら、「今、自分に出来ること」について、引き続き考え続けながら、これからも日々過ごしていきたいと考えております。
私たち患者の「痛み」にいつも寄り添ってくださる青木先生。
先生と共に 引き続き “まけないぞうプロジェクト”を応援することで、自分も少しでも被災された方々の「痛み」に寄り添える人間になりたいと強く願っております。
I am so much thankful to the “Go En” or the special gift of bonding with Dr. Aoki, the Chief of “makenaizone” and Mr. Murai, the head of NGO Collaboration Center and all the other members of “makenaizone”. I’d like to keep supporting “Never give up elephant Project” with Dr. Aoki who has always shared & eased the pains of the patients like me, so as to be able to be much closer to the hearts of the affected people by 3.11 Earthquake & tsunami by rooting for Makenaizo, Never give up elephants in my life.
そして、私のレポートの最後に、まけないぞうプロジェクトの趣旨に賛同し、まけないぞうを家族の一員として迎えてくれ、そしてこのホームページにも写真で登場してくれた私の大切なアメリカのホストファミリーと多くの素晴らしい友人達に心からの有難う！の気持ちを送りたいと思います。そして、引き続き、日本の被災地のみなさんのために祈り、応援してくれることを願っています。 「みんなに出会えて本当に幸せです。そして、みんなのことが大好きです！」
いっぱいの感謝の気持ちと愛を込めて まみより
At the end of my report, I would like to send a very special thanks to all the sweet family members and all the wonderful friends in America for sharing Never give up elephants with me! And I also would like to thank them so much from the bottom of my heart for kindly letting me post their pictures, appearing on this home page, and thank them so much for their continued prayers & support for the restoration for those affected by 3.11 Big Earthquake & tsunami in Northeastern part of Japan. “I am so much blessed and I love you all so much!”
With lots of love, Mami