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Story of Whales クジラの話

So much was going on this summer for our family. My son, Ikkei, and my daughter, Rutsu, visited us here in Powell River. Ikkei lives in Hawaii with Ryoko, and Rutsu lives with Dustin in Lions Bay just outside of Vancouver. Ikkei has two boys, ages 8 and 10. Rutsu has a boy age 7 and a girl age 5. They all arrived together…. with Rutsu’s two dogs and two cats. This was the first visit to Powell River for Ikkei’s family.

So, how should I entertain these inquisitive grandchildren who have boundless energy? After some thought, I decided to book a whale watching tour for our entire family.

So we did the tour! A total of 10 people, ages ranging from 5 to 73. We were on the boat for 3 hours.

A black former military inflatable boat, a Zodiac, was waiting for us at the dock. We all wore bright red/orange coverings which made us look like astronauts. The guide was the owner, Captain Matt. What a thrilling expedition it was! It became clear that he is not only an exciting boat driver, but he has amazing knowledge of ocean and history. He is also philosophical, and an excellent story teller.

We were able to meet several Humpback Whales, all busy diving, swimming, and splashing. We visited from a distance some big harems of huge loud Sea Lions. We admired cute seal cubs and elegant American Eagles.

What I loved the most was the story of oxygen that Matt told us near the end of the tour.

“What happens after whales, or us humans or all animals, die?” Matt says.

The physical bodies disappear, but some of the oxygen in the bodies stays in the air. The air, then, gets inhaled by another living creature, and gives vital support. When it dies, the air is breathed by the next creature, then another…it repeats the cycle for hundreds and thousands of years. So it is possible that we might be breathing the very oxygen that some whale of a thousand years ago had breathed.

“Imagine!” Matt says, “the oxygen you are now inhaling could be the very same oxygen some whale that lived 1000 years ago had breathed.”

Our boys were astonishingly quiet. They seemed to be listening seriously to Matt’s talk. I was also so moved by his grand story.

It reminded me of the very old tree on Texada Island, we call ‘Queen of the Island’. It is a magnificent tree that could have been standing more than a thousand years. Trees take in carbon dioxide which we exhale, and bless us with clean oxygen. A tree like ‘Queen of the Island’ could have been supplying oxygen to humans and animals for hundreds of years. Isn’t it incredible? We really need to protect oxygen, ocean, forest….our precious environment.

Well…boys, did you understand what Matt was saying? Not really? Don’t worry. You might not really understand it now, but there will be a time in your lives that it would make sense to you.

“That day when we went to see whales in the ocean from Powell River, we saw whales and we listened to some serious stories……”

It could be just that, but If the memory stays with you, one day you might realize that your life is taking a direction influenced by this memory. It could become one of the deciding factors for something important you might have to decide. Could be anything!

Well….that’s just what this 70 year old Obaba (grandma) hopes….

今年の夏は賑やかだ。7月にはハワイに住む長男夫婦、一敬と諒子、バンクーバー近くのライオンズベイに住む次女夫婦、瑠都とダステインが子供たちと犬2匹に猫2匹を連れて訪問してくれた。長男一家にとっては初めてのパウエルリバー。

2世帯の孫たちは5歳の女の子と7歳、8歳と10歳の男の子。さてどうすればこの子供達の旺盛な好奇心とエネルギーを満足させられるか…。そこで思いついたのはクジラ見物のツアーにみんなで参加することだった。5歳から73歳まで総勢10人、およそ3時間のツアーだ。

さてハンプバッククジラは忙しい。数匹のクジラが海底深く潜ったり、潮を吹いたり、逆さまになって尾びれを立てたり。大勢のメスアシカを従えて大声でおしゃべりに余念のない大海獣(大型アシカ)のハーレムはおもしろい。そしてひょうきんなアザラシの親子や優美な白頭鷲にもお目にかかれた。

ドックで待っていてくれたのは黒い旧軍のインフレータブルボート、ゾデイアック。宇宙服のような全身真っ赤(オレンジ色？)でパフパフのスーツを着こんで乗り込む。スリル満点のアドベンチャーに胸をドキドキさせてスタート。キャプテン・マットはエキサイティングなゾデイアックのドライバーであると同時に海や動物や歴史のエキスパートでもある。マットのガイドで興味深いお話や説明を聞きながらツアーが始まった。マットはなかなかの哲学者で優秀なストーリーテラーでもある。

でも私にとって1番印象深かったのはマットがツアーの最後に話してくれた酸素の話だった。

『人間でも鯨でも死んだらどうなるのだろうか。』

マットによると、肉体は無くなってしまうけど全ての酸素がなくなってしまうわけではない。空中に残って漂っている酸素もあるそうだ。鯨が生きている間に呼吸していた酸素は、鯨の死後、別の肉体に入り、新しい生命を支える大事な役目を果たしてくれる。そして次の生命、また次の生命と、サイクルは何百年、何千年と続いていく。だから何千年も前に生きた鯨の酸素を私たちが今吸っている可能性だってあるのだ。

「想像してごらん！」マットは言う。「1000年前に生きて呼吸していた鯨の酸素を今、僕たちが知らずに吸っているとしたら…！」

孫の7歳、8歳、10歳の男の子たちは珍しく黙って真剣にマットの話を聞いていた。私もその壮大な話にすっかり感動して耳を澄ませていた。

そういえばタクセーダ島に樹齢1000年(？)の見事な古木がある。私たちが『島の女王』と呼ぶ古木だ。木は私たちが吐く二酸化炭素を吸って、私たちにきれいな酸素を供給してくれる。一本の古木が何百年もの間、私たち人間や動物を生かしてくれているとしたら…。すごいよね。

私たちは本当に誠実に、自然を、地球を大事にしなければならない。心からそう思った。

一応、真剣に聞いていた男の子たち、さて本当に理解できたのかな？いやできなかっただろうな。今はまだわからなくても、いつかきっとわかる時が来る。私はそう思う。

『あのとき、パウエルリバーの海でクジラを見て、何やら難しい話を聞いたな。』

そんな感じでもいい。思い出だけでも心に残してくれていたら、あるとき何かのきっかけでふと思い出して、真剣に考えるときがくるかもしれない。人生の曲がり角で立ち止まってどっちにいこうか迷った時に進むべき道を示してくれる選択の一つになるかもしれない。人生ってそんなものじゃないかな。70歳のオババはそんなことを思った。


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From Generation to Generation 今世代から次世代へ

Women in my family – from left – me, my daughter, mom, my sister, my niece

My mother suddenly died in 2012. It was the year after the horrific earthquake and tsunami followed by the unbelievable nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. How time flies relentlessly… Her death was totally unexpected. She was only 82 and relatively well. One day, she had heart failure while taking her bath, and drowned.

She was a creative person, elegant and fashionable. A huge collection of her clothes was left behind. It was a weird feeling stepping into the familiar house with all her clothes, and her scent vividly present, but mom herself was gone…nowhere. Yet I feel like I can still hear her voice, her sigh, and laughter…My father passed away late last year, so my sister and I had to do something about their stuff.

One of the big problems was my mother’s hand dyed silk clothes. She dyed them herself, all from scratch and made into beautiful dresses, but all specifically fit to herself. Unfortunately, neither my sister nor myself could wear her dresses. Over many years I watched mom working hard day and night hand-dyeing the silk. She would make patterns, etch and cut, color onto silk, wash, dry…etc., such a complicated process… Who could throw them away, or donate them to strangers who might or might not appreciate the love and sweat that went into the silk. But then, what should I do with them? After thinking hard, I came up with an idea. What if I undo all the dresses and turn them into patch-work quilt and make bed spreads for my sister and myself?

However, there was a serious problem. I had no idea how to quilt; absolutely zero experience and zero knowledge about quilting. It was an incredible challenge for me and I didn’t even know where to start.

Right then, Jeanette came into my life, like an angel God had sent for me, and offered to teach me how to do this step by step. Thus…. the challenge of making my first ever quilt began. I opened my sewing machine which was tightly put away in its cover case. It had traveled with me through many moves, once across the Pacific Ocean, and had never been opened for many years. OMG… it was in disappointing shape. Some critical parts were missing, and it was in no way usable. So that was the end of my sewing machine that had traveled all the way from Japan 35 years ago. Jeanette mercifully lent me her machine.

My heart ached undoing my mother’s perfectly beautiful dresses. Yeah…mom had such sloping shoulders that were great in a kimono, but a couple of shoulder pads were necessary for dresses. She would hand-dye silk fabrics and dry them hanging wall to wall, like flags hanging in the house. I couldn’t help stopping my hand every time such memories occupied my head. What a slow process it was.

Even so, thanks to Jeanette, there are two beautiful bed spreads, after two years, all finished. My mother’s “bingata-zome ” dyes were reborn, reincarnated into something I could be proud of. I can tell my children, nieces and nephews, that these bed spreads were dyed by your grandmother, and quilted by Obaba (me). They can pass them on to their children for generations to come. Isn’t it wonderful?

I was so happy.

Thank you so much, Jeannette. I have no words to express my gratitude to you!

So…., I’m thinking….What should I quilt next….Is it going to be my new hobby?

My mom and my granddaughter Sumi
Quilt Bed spread

母が突然亡くなったのは福島の大震災の翌年、もう13年も前の話だ。年月が経つのは容赦なく早い。母の死はひどいショックだった。母は82歳で元気だったのに入浴中に心不全を起こしてあっけなく溺死してしまったのだ。

おしゃれが大好きでクリエイティブだった母が残した膨大な洋服のコレクション、何年も手付かずに実家に残してあったのだが、父が去年の暮に亡くなったこともあって、ようやく重い腰を上げて実家の整理を始めた。なんとも不思議な感覚だった。母が大好きだった洋服に囲まれて母の声が、息づかいが、笑い声が聞こえてきそうなのに、母はいない。

1番困ったのは母の手染めのシルクの洋服。母の体型に合わせてカスタムメイドされているので私や妹が着ても体型的に合わない。母が一生懸命手染めしている姿を何年も見てきているので処分するなどとんでもない。考えあぐねた挙げ句、洋服をほどいてパッチワークのベッドカバーにしたらどうか。挑戦してみようかと思ったけど、そんなこと全く経験のない私、どこから手をつけていいのやらわからない。

そこにまるで、『神の御使である天使』のように現れたジャネットが、手取り足取り教えてくれると言ってくれて、生まれて初めてのキルト作りに挑戦することになった。何度もの引っ越しを経て40年近くもしまいっぱなしだったミシンの蓋を開けてみると、まあまあなんと足りないものだらけ。結局日本から持ってきたミシンは使いものにならず、ジャネットのものを借りることになった。

母の洋服をほどくのは心が痛んだ。そうだよなあ…

母は撫で肩で着物が似合う体型だったなあ、とか何にでも肩パッドを入れてシャキッと形作ってたよなあ、とか染め上がった反物を旗のように家中に干しまくってたなあ、とかいろんな情景が走馬灯のように現れて、その度に思い出に浸って手が進まない。

それでも、それこそ何から何までおんぶに抱っこでジャネットのお世話になりながら2年がかりで我が家用のクイーンサイズのベッドカバーと妹の家用のソファカバーを作り上げた。これならば母の紅型染の作品も生きる。「これはあんたたちのお婆さんが手染めして、それをオババが縫ってキルトに仕立てたベッドカバーなんだよ」と何代にも渡って子供たち、甥や姪たち、孫たち、ヒー孫たちに語り継いで、残していくことが出来る。すばらしいじゃない？

すごく嬉しかった。

ありがとう、ジャネット。心から感謝している。なんとお礼を言ったらいいのかわからない。

次は何を作ろう、なんて考えたりして…

私の新しい趣味になりそうな予感。


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Kathaumixw 合唱祭

Every two years, Powell River, the small town I live, hosts an international choral festival called Kathaumixw. It is, I was told, the only international choral festival in Canada. Kathaumixw means ‘gathering of different people’ in the local indigenous language.

It’s been around for 40 some years, and apparently this year was the 20th festival. Canada’s Independence Day, July 1, was the opening day and it literally filled the small town with choral music for 5 full days. The participating choirs came from not only Canada and USA, but also Costa Rica, Slovenia, New Zealand, Philippines, and Taiwan. My choir was the festival host choir. What a super-hectic, super-stimulating, super-exciting, and super-exhausting 5 days!

When the festival was over, I found myself in a somewhat stunned or ‘out of it’ state. My heart was crying out…”no, I don’t want it to end!” “Let me linger in the exhilaration!”, then slowly turned to ”I am so sad”, “l’m missing the excitement already”….

Especially the final concert was so inspiring to my heart. For four days since the festival opened, almost 1000 singers, learned the three beautiful choral pieces together, and rehearsed together, under the direction of Dr. Zimfira Poloz. Dr. Zimfira is the director of the Toronto Children’s Choir and a well-known well-respected educator in Toronto. I got to learn so much from her.

Dr. Zimfira told us a bit of her life story. She was an immigrant (refugee?) from Kazakhstan. When the USSR had collapsed, she and her husband emigrated to Canada. They were concerned about their future in Kazakhstan and Canada was one of only two countries in the world willing to welcome them. Their life in Canada was not easy, but every time they were given opportunities or challenges they felt so grateful. She said she would never take anything for granted.

Wow, she went through a similar path as an immigrant as myself, I thought. Of course, I immigrated from Japan which is a peaceful and stable country, and I didn’t have to be concerned with my security or my future. However, to a woman from Japan with hard-to-pronounce name, and not especially talented in anything, Canada gave me opportunities to build a decent life. I met many good hearted people. Abundant nature, peaceful country, clean air, warm kind friends…I feel so grateful.

So now, the festival is over. The town is back to normal getting ready for the tourist season. I run into my choir mates in town, we say to each other, “I can’t get those 3 pieces out of my head…..They are still ringing in my head.” Aren’t we lucky?

Music is the only language that has power to speak directly to our heart. Music can unite people instantly. I want to say my heart-felt “thank you” to my late parents who initiated music education for me 60+ years ago. And “thank you” to our beloved town of Powell River that included me in its music community.

Opening concert
First rehearsal of 3 common songs 参加者全員での最初のリハーサル
Concert コンサート
After the concert with my granddaughter Sumi and her friend コンサートの後で

2年に一度のインターナショナル合唱祭が7月の第1週目、カナダの独立記念日(7月1日)から5日間にわたって、私の住む小さな町、パウエルリバーで繰り広げられた。Kathaumixw というこのフェスティバルはカナダで唯一の国際的な合唱祭だという。Kathaumixwとはこの地域の原住民の言葉で『いろんな人々の集まり』という意味だそうだ。

今回第20回目、カナダ、アメリカを始め、コスタリカ、スロヴィニア、ニュージーランド、フィリピン、台湾など世界中から合唱団が参加して5日間に渡ってのコンサートづくしだった。なんとも忙しく、刺激満タン、疲労困憊の5日間、でも終わってみると、高揚の余韻と共になんともいえない寂しさに心が揺さぶられ続けたことも否定できない。

特に1000人近い参加者で合唱した最後のコンサート、4日間にわたって皆でリハーサルした3曲がなんとも美しくて感動的だった。指導してくださった Dr. Zimfira Polozというトロントの合唱団の指揮者であり教育者である先生との出会いは一生忘れられない。

先生はカザフスタンからの移民(難民？)だそうだ。ソ連が解体してカザフスタンが独立した際、先生ご夫妻は将来を案じて移民申請をしたそうだ。そのときに受け入れ表明をしてくれた世界中でたった2国のうちの一国がカナダだったという。カナダでの生活は薔薇色ではなかったけど、いろんなチャンスが巡ってきて、ひとつひとつ挑戦するたびに、機会を与えてくれたカナダに感謝し続けているそうだ。

そんな話を聞いて私は痛く感動した。私と似た境遇なんだと思った。私は平和な日本から来て、将来を案じて移民したわけではないけど、発音しにくい名前の、何と言って特別な取り柄のない私にカナダはいろいろチャンスを与えてくれた。素敵な出会いがいくつもあった。美しい大自然、温かい親切な人々、私も深く感謝しているんだよ。

フェスティバルの5日間が終わって静かな町が戻ってきた。夏の観光シーズンも間近。町角でコーラス仲間に出会うと、「あの3曲が頭から離れないよ」と言う話になる。こんなすばらしい体験をさせてもらって私は幸せ者だと心から思う。

音楽は世界共通、人々の心に直接深く働きかけてくれる。今さらながら、60＋年前、幼い私に音楽を学ぶ機会を与えてくれた亡き父と母に心から感謝。そして仲間に入れてくれたパウエルリバーに感謝。


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My Father

My father lived more than 13 years after my mother passed. He lived to be almost 97 years old. People say, he had a long happy life. Yes, for sure, he did have a long life. However, his last 13 years must have been terrible. I cannot believe he had ever felt anywhere near “happy”. Perhaps some natural defense mechanism had kicked in, possibly in order to blur his loneliness, his memory had started to deteriorate little by little. It eventually took away his ability to recognize us, his family faces. He could not remember us despite our strong kinship. He had dementia.

Dementia is a terrifying disease. I read an article about it describing what it would be like. Imagine sitting in an airplane all by yourself, not knowing why, definitely not because you want to go somewhere. The plane takes off and lands somewhere and you have to get off. You see people everywhere, surrounding you and talking. But you don’t know anybody. You don’t understand a word they are saying. You feel helpless, you don’t know what to do. Some people look aggressive, and you feel they may harm you, but there is no way of defending yourself. You are totally alone.

My father must have felt like this for the last several years, fearful and devastated. How terrifying it must have been.

I am sad I was helpless, powerless and worthless for him. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even be physically with him, just sit with him, help him feel at peace. Of course I was living far away, but still…..

My father was the person who was always quick to help me when I got in trouble, in tears, or feeling lost and overwhelmed. He was also quick to celebrate my joyous moments, flying to wherever I was.

It hurts to recognize that I was utterly useless when my father needed me the most, and there is no other chance left for me to make it up.

母が亡くなっておよそ13年たって父が亡くなった。もうすぐ97歳だった。長生きしたね、幸せな人生だったね、と人は言うかもしれない。でも母が亡くなってからの13年間は決して良い人生だったとはいえないと思う。一人ぼっちになった寂しさを忘れるためかのように少しずつ少しずつ記憶が薄れていって最期の数年間は娘たちのことも忘れてしまったように見えた。いわゆる認知症だったのだと思う。

認知症というのは恐ろしい病気だという。どこかで読んだことがある記事によると、まるで自分の意志とは無関係に飛行機に乗せられ、たった一人、どこだかわからない知らない国に連れて行かれるようなものだという。言葉もわからない、知っている人もいない、みたこともないところで降ろされ、放り出されるようなものだという。怖い顔をされても酷いことをされても自分を守る術もない。そんな状態で最期の数年を生きた父、どんなにか恐ろしい思いをしたことだろう。どんなに寂しかったことだろう。

遠い国に住んで近くにいなかったとはいえ、何の役にも立てなかった、いっしょに座っててあげることもできなかった。慰めの言葉さえかけてあげられなかった自分の非力さを思う。

私が困ったとき、悲しかったとき、圧倒されてどうしようもなかったとき、不安に打ちひしがれていたとき、いつもさっと救いの手を差し伸べてくれた父。その父が一番救いを必要としていたときに私は何もしてあげられなかった…何ともやるせない。


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Why? どうして？

Why?

I had been bogged down with various events, visits, errands, and couldn’t write my blog for a long time. One day in early July we finally came to our cottage on Texada Island to slow down, calm our minds, relax… I was hoping I could write something. Instead, this shocking news appeared on my phone screen….

Japan’s former prime minister, Shinzo Abe was assassinated.

Such a shocking news…. My heart sank heavily. My mind was flying all over. I couldn’t focus on anything. I couldn’t write.

I was always proud of my motherland, a super peaceful country and gentle polite people. And in such a beautiful ancient capital of Nara….? Who and why?

How could you hate anybody to the point of killing that person? Apparently there was no personal connection between the shooter and Mr. Abe… Then, why ….?

When your life is not going well do you blame it on others? Is it because of the damn society? Cunning and devious politicians? Your uncaring parents? Your family’s poor money situations? The evil religious organization that sucked your family’s money?

Why is it not your own responsibility? If you had the brain to make your homemade gun, couldn’t you use your intelligence, creativity and talents for something that could have helped to improve your life?

My thoughts and emotions are boiling up. My heart is so heavy. What a waste! The life of an influential politician and the life someone who was young and smart but headed the wrong way, had been wasted and can’t be reversed……how sad.

I read a column in the online Asahi News, and was utterly moved. My best attempt of translating its last paragraph…

“One era is gone. Nevertheless, people and cars come and go as if nothing happened. This humongous city Tokyo is still pulsing as if nothing had happened. I thought of a poem written a thousand years ago. ‘The flow of the river is incessant, yet its water is never the same.’”

どうして？

なんだか次から次へといろいろ用事ができてブログが書けなかった数週間。やっとタクセーダのコテージに来て、リラックスして、頭をひやして、何か書けるかなと思ったら、いきなり飛び込んできたニュース。

日本で安倍元首相が暗殺されたという。

何ともショッキングなニュースに胸がザワザワ、心がドロドロして気楽にブログなど書けない。

あんなに平和な日本で？しかもあんなに美しい古代都市の奈良で？平和で温和で律儀な国民、私がいつも誇りに思っている日本。誰が一体どうしてそんなことを？殺したいと思い詰めるほど人を憎むとは…なんと悲しいことだろう。

人生が上手くいかないのは不親切な社会のせい？嘘つきの政治家のせい？不誠実な親のせい？お金がないから？家族の財産を吸い取った邪悪な宗教団体のせい？

どうして自分の責任じゃないの？手製銃が作れるくらいの頭脳と創造性があるなら、それを違う方向に使って人生が上手く行くよう努力することもできたんじゃないの？

思いがドクロを巻いて心が重い。それにしても1人の政治家の人生と若い頭脳明晰な犯人の人生とが無駄に終わってしまってなんともいえず…悲しい。

オンライン朝日ニュースで読む『天声人語』の終わりの一節が心にぐさっときた。

『一つの時代が終わった。それでも何事もなかったかのように人や車が行き交い、巨大都市、東京は脈動している。ゆく河の流れは耐えずして、しかも、元の水にあらず。その一節を思う。』


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Coincidence? Really? 偶然？本当に？

Our first lunch guests in Powell River パウエルリバーで初めてのお客様
Neil found a Tree Spirit in the forest … ニールが森の中で木の精を見つけたよ。
Taking a close look. Looks like a wood carving? 近くで見るとこんな感じ。木彫りの鳥かな？。
Ferry boat going to Texada タクセーダ島に行くフェリー
Beach in Powell River. Sometimes whales are splashing. パウエルリバーの海岸。時々鯨の潮吹きが見えるよ。
Deer family in our backyard, eating apples 庭のリンゴを食べに来る鹿の家族

Two days ago, when we were walking with our dogs along the shoreline of Powell River, a couple passed by. ‘She looks familiar,’ I thought for a moment. Of course, there are many people who look familiar…so, I smiled and kept on walking. ‘’Aaaaah‼️” Voice came from them. Two+ years ago, before the Covid pandemic closed down large gatherings including choirs, she was singing in the same choir in West Vancouver. Though I don’t recall having much conversation with her, I vaguely remembered her face.

We stopped and talked for awhile. “What a coincidence! What are you doing here?”

They said they were camping in Powell River. It turned out that they had lived in Japan for quite a long time. In fact, they met and got married in Tokyo. They camped on Texada Island last year and are trying Powell River this year. They like this area, they said.

Out of 2.5 million people living in Vancouver, 4 people who used to sing in the same choir happened to come to the same spot of the small town of 14,000 people, 5 hours drive away, at the very same time ……

Isn’t this a miracle??

Is this really a mere coincidence?

When I think of it, there are coincidences that happened in my life, that later brought changes in my life.

Some big ones are…..

50+ years ago, when I was only 13 years old, with no English whatsoever, I arrived in Los Angeles. I met a tiny adorable poodle on the road. This encounter led me to meet a wonderful pianist/teacher, and resulted in having music as a huge part of my whole life.

20+ years ago, I was invited to a dinner party. I met a person at the dinner who told me about a business graduate program called Executive MBA in Simon Fraser University. I ended up getting enrolled in the program, and met Neil who was one of the professors there, and now my spouse of 21 years.

We used to go camping to the beautiful Okanagan area. One year, there was terrible wild fire and we went to Sunshine Coast instead. We came to Texada Island and absolutely loved there. We built a cottage and it’s been 16+ years now. And, we ended up choosing Powell River for our retirement because of the easy access to Texada.

It’s amazing. My major life directions were led by some unpredicted coincidences.

I thought of a book I read many many years ago called “Celestine Prophecy.” The message was that there is no such thing as coincidence. The word being used is not “coincidence,” but “synchronicity.” Everything that happens to you has meaning. It was meant to happen. Every being you meet has message(s) for you…. I remember the book very well. It had such a strong impact on me. The surprising synchronicity of meeting my choir friend brought back the feeling of “Celestine Prophecy.”

Life is interesting. Every synchronicity is important and precious. I really need to live my life more mindfully. I need to value each moment and each encounter…..

一昨日のことだ。犬のお散歩にパウエルリバーの海岸を歩いていた時、あるカップルとすれ違った。何となく見たことのあるような、とちらっと思ったけど、似たような人は結構いるし、気のせいだろうとニコッと微笑んで通り過ぎようとした。そうしたら向こうから「あー〜‼️」と驚きの声がかかった。2年半前、ウエストバンクーバーの合唱団がコロナで閉鎖される前、同じ合唱団で歌っていた人だった。といっても特に親しかったわけでもなく1〜2回たわいもない会話を交わした程度だ。

立ち止まって30分くらい話し込んだ。聞けばパウエルリバーでキャンプ中だという。しかもこのカップルは日本に長く住み、日本で知り合って結婚したんだという。去年はタクセーダ島でキャンプして今年はパウエルリバーでキャンプしているそうな。

250万人もの人が住むバンクーバーから偶然にも同じ合唱団に在籍していた2組のカップルが車で5時間も離れた人口たったの14000人のパウエルリバーの片隅でばったり会うなんて…何という奇跡⁉️

でもこれって単なる偶然なんだろうか？

思えば私の人生って単なる『偶然』から発展したことがどれだけ多いことか。

主だった例をあげると…

50＋年前、ロスアンゼルスに到着したばかりの英語ゼロの13歳の私の前に偶然、小さな可愛いプードル犬が現れて、すばらしいピアノの先生と出会うきっかけを作ってくれた。結果、音楽が私の人生の大切なページを占めることになったこと。

20＋年前のある日、招待されて行った夕食会で出会った人との偶然の会話からサイモンフレイザー大学のExecutiveMBA(働く人のための修士プログラム)のことを知った。入学して、のちのち、教授だったニールと知り合って今や結婚して21年。

いつもキャンプに行っていたオカナガンが、たまたまその年、山火事にみまわれて、サンシャインコーストに行ってみることにした。偶然行き着いたのがタクセーダ島。島が大好きになったあまりコテージを建てて、16年も年数回通ったあげく、島に近いパウエルリバーでリタイア後の人生を送ることにしたこと。

すごいよね。私の人生の主だった方向転換が単なる偶然から発展したんだから。

昔々に読んだCelestine Prophecy (日本語題は『聖なる予言』)を思い出す。この世の中に単なる偶然なんてない。偶然という言葉もcoincidenceではなくsynchronicity という言葉を使ってたな。自分に起こることは起こるべきして起こる。人(人間以外の動物等を含めて)との出会いには必ず意味がある。そんな内容の本で、読んだ当時は強い感銘を受けたものだ。

パウエルリバーの海岸での出会いによって、その感動が蘇ってきたような気がした。人生っておもしろい。改めてこれからの私の1日1日、そして出会うひとりひとりを大切にして、マインドフルに生きていかなければ、と思った午後だった。