ChanomiTalk

今日はチェイさんとジャネルさんの結婚式でした。
遠くて迷子になりそうなので、行きも帰りも、ロッド津田さんの車に乗せていただきました。
ロッド津田さんは日系四世で、キャンベル高校で、日本語とスペイン語を教えています。

チェイさんもスペイン語と英語の先生であり、ナコスで日本語も磨いています。
ロッドさんも恥ずかしがらずに、日本語でお話ししましょう！

というわけで、津田さんのお蔭で、間に合って、結婚式の写真を撮ることもできました。
楽しい小旅行でした。ありがとうございました！
観光客のように、車窓からオアフ島の美しい緑の木々を堪能しました。

Today was my first lesson at NACOS. I found out about NACOS through a mutual friend. My friend’s friend name is Rodney Osorio. Thanks to him, I can learn Japanese.

仕事で大変忙しくしていました。今日、やっと終わりました。
来週から、しばらく旅行に出かけます。
マーレシアの田舎、そして、ネーパルに行く予定です。

One of my answers to one of my hardest questions in life about a year ago became unanswered. I used to ask everyone, if you could pick one song, only one to describe your life, what would it be? I know. It’s hard right? I understand we all have soundtracks that describe us, but you can only pick one. For years I was certain it was John Lennon’s “Working class Hero”. But, certain life events have caused me to rethink this as that song no longer aptly describes me anymore…..and the search continues….

Growing up in Michigan I was very fortunate to have always been close to lakes. Michigan has many small lakes along with the Great Lakes that are the most famous. My Father taught me how to swim when I was about 2 or 3 years old! We would go to the lake to relax on Sunday and my Father usually took me out to about 1 to 3 feet of water and would throw me in! I would float up to the surface and was soon able to kick and use my arms in a simple swimming style. Infants have a natural “mammalian reflex” which causes them to close their mouths and hold their breaths underwater. We lose this reflex as we get older. Because I started learning how to swim so young I do not know what it is like to not know how to swim! When my Father was teaching me to swim in this manner my Mother would be sitting on the beach almost having a heart attack! She did not know how to swim and was very afraid of the water. I ended up becoming a swimming Instructor and teaching infants and small children how to swim in the same manner as my Father taught me!

Hello Ladies, I’m currently writing an article based on compromise. I just wanted to write about a few things that I’ve observed over the past few years.

But first, I have to say, women have had to cope with so much in this world. It breaks my heart to know of some of the experiences women have had to live through. But, there is an answer and it depends on you if you want your life to change and/or if you want to change someone else’s life, for the better.

Ok, here we go. I know of sex trafficking that women have gone through. I’ve heard the stories about women having to dress and look a certain way in different countries. I’ve heard about and read stories of abuse in the morning paper. There are so many things that women have to face and I am just so fed up with it all.

But, there is something that came to mind that, in a way, can bring you to the answer you may be looking for. Compromise.

Without stepping on any toes, I will be careful to explain what I mean. Some women get into and stay in relationships that are abusive, mentally, physically and emotionally, due to compromise. They will believe that they are loved when they are not and think, “If I just do this, then he will do that.” Or, “I will never find anything better so I might as well keep what I have.”

Usually we are emotionally tied to these compromising relationships due to sexual activity. Now, I know I just hit a nerve so please stay with me for a moment.

When we have pre-marital sex, besides all the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases, we are creating soul ties and emotional bonds that are hard to break. They are hard because when we are physical with the opposite sex we release chemicals in our bodies that trick the brain into believing that we need to keep having this good feeling.

In women, a chemical call, Oxytocin is released, which is designed to help you forget what is painful…the truth of the matter. Oxytocin is an emotional bonding chemical. So when you are physical a man you are becoming emotionally involved with him and it will be hard to let him go. A chemical called, Vasopressin has a similar affect in men.

So as it becomes hard to leave a relationship, compromise sets in. It gets even harder when there are multiple partners.

Ladies, there is a way to stay out of compromising situations and relationships that hurt. It’s not a drug, it’s not a magic trick. It’s a truth. His name is Jesus.

He can help you not to hurt anymore. He can set you free from pain. He can and will bring a good relationship to you, one in which you will experience true, deep, compassionate, free love. No compromising, no fears, no abuse.

Would you consider a life long relationship of love? Ask Jesus about it.

Thank you for reading.

God bless you,

Cedric

Budding shoot, new life
Silent inherent, God’s design
Tender glory births

Budding hapu fern

Today I practiced a new story about moonbows. I learned that I can say ごぞんじですか? This is a very polite way of saying, “do you know?” We are now learning how to say present & past tense forms of verbs and positive and negative forms of verbs. We reviewed some question phrases & how to use こと　が　できます。This means “I am able to”. I am feeling more relaxed when I speak & read Hiragana.

私も患者さんと過ごす中で、喜びを共有したりすることがあります。
例えその場限りの喜びであっても、その瞬間は笑顔になります。
一度そのような気持ちを共有すると、「この人ならわかってくれる」と信頼してもらえるようになります。

以前、100才近い女性で、毎日「もう生きていても意味がない。早く死にたい。」と言っている患者さんがいました。
気持ちはわかります。
家にも帰れず、体は衰えていき、家族や友人は既にこの世を去り、どんなに孤独であることでしょう。
私は毎日彼女の病室をたずね、車椅子でリハビリ室に一緒に行きました。
リハビリ室には顔なじみも多く、明るい若者が多く、みんなで冗談を言っては彼女も笑顔になり、楽しく過ごすことができるのです。

そうして毎日訪ねるうちに、彼女も心を開き、昔のことをたくさん話してくれるようになりました。
幼い頃のこと、若い時仕事をしていたときのこと、家族のこと…
彼女の話を聴いていると、若く生き生きとした彼女の姿を思い描くことができました。
私は彼女の人生について本を書けると思います。それほどたくさん話をしました。

ある時彼女は、ふと思いついたように話し出しました。
昔、彼女が夏の暑い日に外で仕事をしている時に、親切な人が、
「暑くて大変だから、これで飲み物でも買いなさい。」とお金をくれたのだそうです。
それは人生の中でとても小さなエピソードです。
彼女は「あの時、見知らぬ人に感謝したことをもう一度思い出せて良かった。」
ととても喜んでいました。
私はそんな小さなエピソードを思い出し、そのことを未だに感謝している彼女に感動しました。

あの語り合う日々がなければ、彼女は二度と素敵な思い出を思い出すことがなかったかもしれません。
それだけでも意味のあることだったと思います。