A Better Angel

This morning, I woke up to another extremely warm day. Unlike other recent days, however, I felt a touch of coolness in the air as my dog, MoMo, and I went about our usual morning walk routine. I said to her, “Oh my gosh, it feels like fall is waiting just around the corner!”  Seasons come and go, but they have a way of putting structure into our lives. They force us to adjust our attitudes and remind us that, as some things inevitably come to an end, there is always hope for new beginnings that lie ahead.

 This summer, I took a break from many of my usual activities and focused on my well-being, utilizing the principles of Kaizen and Ikigai. I walked and exercised, took MoMo to the dog park, reconnected with many friends I hadn’t seen in a long time, and enjoyed eating mochi donuts and drinking Mango-Sago drinks. Now that the current season is nearing its end, I hope you were also able to participate in a few fun activities and enjoyed your summer.

Speaking of positive experiences, one new and interesting art project I undertook during the last month was creating a beautiful hanging angel, which I call my Yasuko Angel (below). It was designed to commemorate a special person in my life, Yasuko Aratani, who recently passed away.

           Yasuko Angel

About five years ago, I was invited to Yasuko’s birthday party. At the time, she was a 91-year-old woman whom I had heard a lot about but didn’t know very well. As a longtime business owner and community volunteer, I have met many interesting people. When I finally had the opportunity to sit down with Yasuko, I was struck by the details of her remarkable life. I was anxious to learn more about this fascinating person. As we talked, I was especially inspired when she told me she had resolved to stay the course throughout her life, even though it would take several years to achieve her goals. Although it was not without sacrifices, her ultimate goal was to attend college and become an educator – all while she raised seven kids and her husband, Augie, worked two jobs to support their family of nine.

During the first few moments of our meeting, Yasuko displayed a kind and gentle presence. I also saw another side of her, however, as she shared with me her many accomplishments. Thinking to myself, I wished there was some way I could bottle up her attributes of strength, power, and audacity, so they could be passed on to inspire other women. She was definitely a woman ahead of her time, as her life story clearly exhibits a powerful inspiration to move in a positive direction and pursue lifelong dreams.

 After we met, I was so impressed with what I learned from Yasuko that I wanted to capture the special moments in her life and share them with others. With her permission, I wrote a fairly comprehensive story that was accepted for publication by the North American Post. I was overjoyed when Yasuko and her family were finally able to read the story for themselves after it was published in the paper a few years ago.

 Unfortunately, Yasuko passed away this summer. To distance myself from my immediate feeling of sadness and loss, I picked up some paints and sat quietly at my art table, hoping that the process of creating something would help uplift me. To my surprise, Yasuko’s spirit soon took over, and my hands automatically began moving; it was as if she was guiding me through my movements, showing me what to illustrate. What eventually emerged a few hours later was an angel that I named my “Yasuko Angel.” Unable to stop with just one angel, I decided to make several, so I could sell them to raise money for my Animal Rescue fundraiser, scheduled for this coming December.

When they become available, I hope you will consider purchasing one, two, or three of the Yasuko Angels. They will make a wonderful gift for anyone who needs a bright and cheerful addition to their life, as well as a constant reminder to live their life to the fullest. Remember, regardless of who you are, there is an angel present in all of us, and Yasuko was definitely one of our better angels!

            A variety of Yasuko Angels

I would love for you to read Yasuko’s inspiring story, which was published in the February 18, 2023, issue of the North American Post. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it:

https://napost.com/2023/voices4_0210/

If You’d Like to Share…  After you’ve read Yasuko’s story, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts and feelings about her inspiring life. Just hit reply to send me your thoughts.