With
Thanksgiving just around the corner, this seemed like the best time for me to
count my blessings and reflect on how very lucky I am. I am not saying any of
this to brag, but to recognize the fact that I have lived an amazing life with
many opportunities that can only be attributed to something outside myself.
I have always
been an extremely lucky individual. I had talent, opportunity, and support to
follow my dreams throughout childhood all the way to college. As I got older, I
realized these things were not given. I was just super lucky. There have been
some minor setbacks in my life, but overall I am truly blessed.
So while it was
not unexpected that my life in Japan would be equally fortunate, I have found
it beneficial and humbling to reflect on the amazing adventures, people, and
things Lady Luck continues to bestow on me.
Most important,
from the very first moment of my life, I have been blessed with amazing parents.
They gave me strength, courage, and a burning desire to understand this
fascinating world. They have supported me and encouraged me in every endeavor I
have undertaken. Moving to a foreign country has been no different. From care
packages with peanut butter, Halloween candy, and tortillas, to advice and
travel planning assistance, Okasan and Otosan have been with me every step of the
way. I cannot wait till they visit next month so I can share this beautiful country
with them, since they are the ones who first introduced me to Japan when I was
just a little girl.
I am also so
very lucky to have found and married Anata. Without his support, hard work, and
understanding, I would not be experiencing any of this. Being the one to stay
behind and pay the mortgage, take care of our three fur babies, and otherwise
man the home front hasn't been easy. Listening to my adventures and looking
through the thousands of pictures I post of Facebook is harder still. But he
bears it all. I could not have been luckier the night I ran into him at a
sorority party almost a decade ago.
My friends and
family in America and other parts of the world have also been a blessing on
this adventure. They have given me advice, comfort, and laughter. Things that
are always welcome. They help to keep me grounded and up to date. I am not
quite ready to come home yet, but when I do they will make it easy to pick up
where I left off.
But it has
really been my circumstances in Japan that really put the astounding scope of
my luck in perspective. Things could have gone so very differently. Instead,
Fortune has continuously smiled on me through each step of my journey.
When I first
applied, I was nervous I would not get the job. I was highly qualified, but
there is always doubt when it comes to an interview. However, I seemed to sail
through the hiring process. Not only did I get the job, I got the August start
time I wanted. The number of positions available mid-way through the Japanese
school year is very small. But my company thought I was the perfect candidate
to fill one of these positions.
Luck smiled on
me again when I was placed in Osaka. When I filled out my application I knew
very little about Japanese cities and geography. I was warned at every stage of
the interview process that a rural placement was likely. Still I put down
Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto as my three choices of assignment. I did not know any
other areas. So when I got the call telling me I would be assigned to the Osaka
area, I realized how much Fate was watching out for me. Osaka is the perfect
place for me in Japan. There is food, art, culture, history, and warm, down to
earth people ready to accept a foreigner.
One of these
people was Otose, my amazing landlady. To say my stay in Japan would be
drastically different without her is a complete understatement. She, and the
other women I live with, have cooked for me, interpreted for me, been my tour
guide, and travel agent. She has made sure I am experiencing every possible
aspect of Japan. She make reservations at delicious restaurants, finds English
speakers to befriend me, helps me shop, and even sets up private students to
help supplement my income (so we can go on even more adventures). So many of my
adventures - participating in the danjiri, celebrating Obon on my first night
in the house, shopping for and learning to wear the kimono - are all thanks to
her. I am the luckiest person in the world to not only have stumbled on her
room posting, but to be accepted after just one email. She often tells me she
knew from the start I would be the perfect tenant and roommate. I am working
very hard to live up to that bar.
It is not just
Otose, either. My roommates, neighbors, business owners on my local shopping
street, and other members of my ward, like the danjiri participants I spent a
weekend with, have all gone out of their way to make me feel like part of the
community. Despite language and cultural barriers, they welcome me wherever I
go. It makes me feel valued and accepted. I know I have people I can turn to
and talk to. I have made good friends who make a huge difference in my survival
in this foreign country. Because of them, I am learning so much about not just
Japanese culture, but what makes us all human as well. It is insight I am truly
grateful for.
As if these
blessings were not enough, I lucked into a position at one of the best schools
imaginable. Now part of this was qualification, but I think there was a good
deal of providence as well. I get to work with an amazing staff. They are
dedicated, friendly, and welcoming. I have several teachers that speak English
(two almost fluently), but even those who don't speak English will talk to me. We
have to work to make ourselves understood sometime, however, the alternative is
silence so I appreciate their effort. Our staff room is full of laughter and
warmth. It is an amazing environment to work in. It makes the hour plus commute
worth it.
My students are
another source of joy. They are brilliant, to put it bluntly. They work hard
and are excited to learn. From first grade all the way to ninth they are some
of the best students I have every worked with. Each class they astound me with
their energy and excitement for English. Watching them grow in my language has
been fascinating and heartwarming. I truly hit the jackpot with my school
assignment.
It almost seems like
more than luck at this point. I must have been a saint in a past life for Karma
to be so generous. So as people back home go around the dinner table saying
what they are thankful for, my only answer this year would be the phenomenal
life I have been able to lead. There are too many blessings to count, too many
people to thank. The only thing I can do is recognize and celebrate my amazing
luck and work hard to live a life worthy of such good fortune.
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