DECEMBER 2025 ~ Through a lot of thoughts…

12月

やっと父が退院をしました。しっかりとリハビリ期間を取ったおかげで、入院前の状態にほぼ戻り帰宅。直ぐその日のうちに銭湯にも出かけ、三ヶ月間の入院の垢を落とします。父の退院のタイミングが合い九州の叔母も訪ねて来てくれ、兄妹でお互いの健康を願いあっていました。昨年の夏に長崎から祖父母の位牌を引き取らなければ繋がらない流れだったかもしれません。

December

My father was finally discharged from the hospital. With an enough rehabilitation, his condition was back to normal same as before hospitalized. Soon after he got home, he went to a public bath with me to relax himself in a huge hot bath. By coincidence, his younger sister in Saga was visiting Osaka to meet her granddaughter. So she stopped by to wish her brother well. After taking over our family alter from a relative in Nagasaki, good flows are coming in between them.

“終わった〜”

と、思ったら束の間。仕事中に母の主治医から電話がありました。大事な話だという事で、昨年の大腸がんが再発したのかと思いましたが、そっちではなく以前患った重度の血栓症が再発しているとのことでした。来週その件で診察を受ける予定だと告げると、直ぐ連れてくるようにと指示を受け慌てて母を病院に連れて行くとそのまま入院。命拾いをした母。父共々、まだ“生きる”ことをこの現世で体現するお役目があるのでしょう。自分はそれに協力するのみです。

“Done!”

I was relieved…, but then I soon received a message from the hospital. It’s was my mother’s doctor saying that he had something important to talk with me. I thought that she got another cancer, but it wasn’t. It was a big clot found in her pulmonary vein, which was almost cured five year’s ago. I told the doctor that we had an appointment next week with a cardiologist to consult her condition, but he requested me take her to the hospital immediately. After I finished my shift in the morning, I returned home, and took my mother to the doctor. Then she was instantly hospitalized. She barely survived from a potential heart failure risk. She still needs to live same as with my father. I’m just the one who help them reach their goals.

そんな連続の中、熊野詣を今年も何とか果たせました。恵方詣も兼ねています。4年ぶりに「みどりや」に宿泊もでき、大好きな川湯で自然の氣を吸い込みつつ、体をじっくりと温めます。食事も満足いくものです。20年近く前に初めて宿泊した時と比べ大幅リノベーションされているので、当時の純和風さは無くなっています。レストランスタッフは外国人。仲居さんと呼ばれる人たちはもういません。日本の課題に改めて考えさせられる事が沢山ありました。

Though in such conservative events, I managed to visit Kumano this year as well. It’s been 4 years since I started at “Midoriya” inn. In nature, I relaxed my favorite river hot springs, “Kawayu”. The food was satisfying. Compared to my impression

20 years ago, the inn may have lost its pure Japanese style, and they are still under a renovation work to meet more needs. I didn’t see any more “Nakai-san”, who is a restaurant staff in Japanese style, but all were foreigners who spoke Japanese. There were issues there that we Japan/Japanese need to take into a serious consideration.

「思」うところ多い、いや多すぎた一年も、いよいよ大晦日。

Many thoughts through the year, or too many. Finally, this is the day of the year!

正美/Masami