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Serving a community of private individuals and professionals
who have the desire to cultivate a life of clarity, compassion,
and creativity. We warmly welcome our new subscribers. Thanks
for joining! Your feedback is encouraged. Please feel free to
contact us.
Sorry we're late! Our newsletter might possibly show up late again in the coming
weeks, as we need to give our attention to other concerns.
1. Request for prayers and assistance
My dear Russian friend and colleague Inessa Rebeyko has been
the webmaster for Seishindo right from the very beginning.
She has been invaluable in every aspect of our online relationship
with you.
Recently Inessa has been diagnosed with cancer and is beginning
to undergo various treatment methods.
Please keep Inessa in your thoughts and prayers. The more of
you who can find the time to send caring thoughts her way, the
better!
The cost for Inessa's treatment and rehabilitation will be
considerable, and beyond the resources she currently has.
We're therefore asking you to consider making a donation to
a health fund for Inessa. If you're open to such an idea please
give in whatever amount is comfortable for you, as an act of
solidarity and simple friendship. Even if you can only send
a dollar or two it will let Inessa know you're thinking of her,
and give her greater hope!
To offer your donation please go to the following link:
http://www.seishindo.org/making_a_donation.html
I thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of
this request.
Warmly,
Charlie
2.
A Simple Friendship
A retired neighbor of mine in Tokyo had a small dog she used
to walk four or five times a day. About a year after I moved
into the neighborhood the dog passed away and the lady was deeply
saddened. I saw little of her after her dog's passing, and I
decided to try and cheer her up some. I left a gift of her favorite
cookies by her door and had someone write a note in Japanese
saying, "I am looking forward to seeing you happy again!"
The next day I saw her taking an early morning walk, and I called
out to her with a hearty "Good morning!" as I bicycled
off to go shopping. She nodded her head and smiled.
Upon returning home my neighbor was unlocking the door to her
house, about to go in.
She motioned for me to come over and asked in Japanese, "Did
you leave me the cookies with a note yesterday?"
"Cookies with a note?" I asked. "Was the note
in English?"
"No," she said, "The note was in Japanese."
"Oh," I said. "You know, I can't write in Japanese.
The cookies must have come from someone else."
"Of course," she said. "I should have thought
of that."
I told her I was glad to see her out and about again and that
if she had some free time one of these days I would be glad
to share some of the cookies with a cup of tea.
She invited me in on the spot, and we had a lovely conversation
for about an hour as she showed me lots of pictures of her recently
deceased dog.
I asked her if she was thinking of getting another dog. "No,"
she said, "The heartbreak of losing another pet would just
be too much."
Two days later when I came back home in the evening, there
was a beautifully wrapped box next to my door.
Inside the box was a container of my favorite tea.
The note attached to the gift was written in English. It said,
"Thanks so much for all your kindness!"
With the note being written in English, and my neighbor neither
speaking nor writing English...
There was no way I could ask if the tea came from her…
Without letting her know the cookies had come from me. How clever
my neighbor was! She knew I wouldn't ask, and she knew that
I would know that she knew the cookies came from me!
I tried my best to not laugh out loud the next time we met.
Such is the beauty of a simple friendship.
Both of us knowing what the other felt,
And both of us sharing our hearts.
At a time when words can be too much.
A subtle gesture of solidarity
Can have such a gentle yet piercing power.
To touch the heart of a friend.
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