もう一度 (One More Time... )

My mom always sends me goodies from Japan. Like seasoning to put on onigiri (rice balls) I make for lunch, dried seaweed to put into miso-soup, Japanese saran-wrap (I know these all sound like mundane things but you will only understand if you are Japanese and live outside of Japan...). It always brightens up my day when I come home to a box from my mom. This one time though in the box from mom- were also newspapers from March 11th 2013.

I had been so engrossed in graduate school related stuff that I hadn't even looked carefully at the newspapers until sometime, late in April. But one day, just out of the blue, I picked up the newspapers, and took a moment to look, and to  read carefully.

The cover pages (front and back) of the Asahi Shinbun read:

「一歩ずつ　この二年」"One step at a time, these two years"
and 「一日ずつこの先も」"One day at a time, from here on also"

With pictures of the recovery process filling the entire front and back, as well as the insides of the newspaper.

Memories came back one by one from the moment the earthquake struck. That day, at 2:47PM on Aoyama Dori in Tokyo, I tried to keep my cool as the ground refused to stop shaking, and as buildings swayed violently back and forth. Then, struck the memories from the times I spent in Tohoku. Recalling my volunteer experiences and the people I met at each location, I wondered how they were doing. Tears filled my eyes as I read about those who lost their loved ones, and how each was still struggling to move forward one day at a time.

One of the words of those who had been affected stood out to me:

"Please don't forget the affected areas. Nothing has changed yet. It's painful when people just remember at the marks of the day"

I also found with the newspapers, a light-pink envelope addressed to me from Kessennuma City.

The letter thanked me for supporting the city during difficult times. It was a letter of gratitude but there was also a hint of regret (due to the slow recovery process) in not being able to offer me with the city's pride: its delicious seafood and its beautiful scenery. Due to the long recovery process that still lay ahead, there was also a wish for continuous support.

At first, I was shocked at how they even got a hold of my address and how they had held on to it for the past two years or so. But I was even more shocked because they were thanking me, when I was slipping away, forgetting.

And it hit me hard. I am beginning to forget, I am beginning to not care...

So even if I may not have time to update this blog as much as I would like to, one more time, I will give it a try. I will keep this blog alive so that I don't forget. And so that others who may stumble upon this blog can also remember, support, and watch over the affected areas and the people as they continue to make steps towards recovery.