I Am a Cucumber

The Fun of Learning

Learning anything new requires humility and a good sense of humour—take languages. I have been working on a short introduction to a presentation I will make in Japan in ten days. The help I have received to learn these 32 words is enormous. As I practice with Google Translate, it has become an immune system booster because of the hilarious things I have unintentionally said in Japanese.

I am not discouraged, however,  because it matters to me that I attempt this small thing and it gets better. In fact, I just got off Zoom with my friend in Tokyo, who is helping me, and she understood everything I said. Yeah! This news was surprising and encouraging. And I will keep practicing.

However, when the moment comes, anything can happen. A simple turn of phrase gone wrong could be heard as “I am a cucumber.” This is only one of several things I have said to the translation app in the privacy of my study. Fortunately for me, Dr. Itami and my friends value humour, especially when it is at our own expense, so no matter what I say, they will be kind.

Five More Sleeps

My daughter and I leave early Monday morning for this extraordinary two-week trip. Everything seems to be in order, and to say I am excited is an understatement. I plan to post a short blog each Wednesday, like a postcard. I will start a draft for each week before I leave and use banner photos from my trip ten years ago. This will make it easier for me to write a “postcard” from my phone and add some new photos for you to see.

We land in Tokyo and go to Kyoto the next day for four nights. Next is the Kii Peninsula for four days to discover the Kumano Kodo, two days in the Odawara Hakone area, two nights back in Tokyo, and home on the 14th day.

The loveliest part of this journey will be spending time with Japanese friends and introducing my daughter to this amazing country and people. Most importantly, we will celebrate with Dr. Itami and others the 40th anniversary of Ikigai Ryoho, the visionary program he developed for metastatic cancer patients, which has benefited many others since then.

Autumn

As many of you know by now, autumn is my favourite season. Like cherry blossom time, it is an exceptional season to be in Japan, and I am immensely grateful for this opportunity. We will miss Canadian Thanksgiving; coincidentally, that is the first day of the Kumano Pilgrimage experience. Seems like a good fit. We never know what adventures are just around the corner.

May you enjoy these October days and find ways to invite small joys into your everyday life, even when experiencing challenging times. Remember the first guideline of Living Well with Illness (which can apply to anything)—play an active role in your situation. Recognize what can’t be controlled and take action on the things you can influence, mitigate, and change, even a little bit. Nature is an unbelievable healer of broken hearts and a source of creativity. May you take advantage of its gifts.

Notes

1:) Today, Rosh Hashanah began at sunset, and I wish all of my readers who celebrate these High Holidays – Shana Tova.

2:) To all of my readers who were and are impacted by the destruction of Hurricane Helene, please accept my sorrow over all that you have lost. Especially loved ones. There is so much to grieve in the world right now – may you/me/we all find a source of solace.

3:) Here’s the Link to the annual November Program, Living Fully with Illness, at the ToDo Institute. This program takes a wholehearted approach to living with illness.  It is a chance to step back, ask questions, learn skills and take a fresh look at what it means to coexist with illness and still flourish.  I facilitate it.

4:) I will say goodnight, grateful for your kind words and your interest in continuing to read my scribbles. Warmly, Trudy

PS Next week, I will be writing from Kyoto.

PPS For those in the Calgary Area, here is a beautiful place to take kids and grandkids. The Little Red Reading House. – a place to discover the joy of reading. It’s worth checking out. (my 14-month-old great-granddaughters highly recommend it)

PPPS If I am going to be a cucumber, I will be a fancy one. Thanks, Jim and a big Happy Birthday, Sheila.