Four years.......

March 11th, 14:46

We prayed in silence for one minute.

I have felt like it was a long and also brief time in the four years since then.
We are living a new life here.

Parted from old friends, some new friends met.
Some things changed, others not.
Some things ended, others begun.

We have had some very hard and difficult times,
but we have also had many happy times.
We are living everyday, and moving forward.

We sometimes stop,
and feel like we are not moving forward and straggling.
Sometimes looking back,
to see how far we've come.
Sometimes looking forward,
to wonder where this road leads.

I believe we don't have to worry alone,
we should talk to those beside us.

It is important to talk; do not think you burden others.
When you share your suffering and pain, it makes your mind clear
and helps disperse your worries into small fragments.
When you tell us your happiness, it increases every time.


My children are growing everyday and getting used to this life here.
They made many friends.

How do they feel and think now after four years past?
When they come home tonight, we shall talk about many things.


Life is short,  it is best to live with smiles and laughter.




Thank you.

Mobile Phone

Even in this day and age, we don't have a mobile phone.
We have decided to not have a mobile phone.


Yes, it is sometimes inconvenient.
Some people have said to us that we should have it.


Euan says,
" I don't  like a mobile phone. They take control of my life, and are completely unnecessary."


We can survive quite well with a Telephone, a Fax and E-mail.

When there are inconvenient situations, I and the children send telepathy to Euan, " Call us now!!!!".
And it's strange, but he often phoned us a half hour later.


Today, a mother of my daughter's friend visited us.
They don't have a mobile phone, either.

I was very glad that it is not just us.

Even if she is inconvenienced, she thinks it is more important to learn about caring enough about a person to wait for them. Years ago her husband once waited for her for about 16 hours, when she could not get back to Tokyo from Kanazawa because of heavy snow .
The purity of their heart to care for each other so much moved me.


But, on the other hand, I watched the news about the earthquake in New Zealand. Some people contacted their family from the under the buildings. When I thought of the families concerns about their children's safety, I could not help watching the news without tears.

I, honestly, started to consider about having a mobile phone recently. But her words reminded me, it is right to live as we believe. We are living according to our own values. Every family places importance on different things.

Even in the midst of inconvenience, I choose  to care for the people around me and a way of living which is not adrift to social whims.

Therefore, please understand that though may inconvenient for others, we choose not to have a mobile phone at this stage.
By all means, contact us by Phone, Fax, E-mail, Letter or telepathy if necessary. 



Like Auntie Thora used to say;
"Just remember, even though I don't write to you very often, I still think of you and love you very much."