A Day in Hiroshima

In June I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Japan for my last class in pursuing my masters.  On one of our free days, two friends and I decided to make the 5 hour trek from Tokyo to Hiroshima; stopped in crazy rain in Kyoto and on the way home from Hiroshima got stuck in a train in a typhoon for 16 hrs...of course this would be a memorable experience for anyone...but outside of typhoon delirium...spending the afternoon in Hiroshima is an afternoon that will forever be a moment in my life that holds a very special place in my heart.

We finally arrived at the atomic bomb dome after a few slip ups trying to get there and after about 5 minutes of legit silence taking in the moment an older man walked up to us and asked if we wanted him to take us on a tour of the area.  Our first reaction was filled with random looks to each other trying to figure out the situation; and of course as Americans we figured he wanted money, him recognizing our hesitation he said to us, it's free I just want to show you around so I can practice my English.  And thus our afternoon with Hiro in Hiroshima had begun...

Hiro is a 65 year old man who is retired and is a volunteer tour guide because it is what he loves to do.  He began to share with us that he had created a book in English about the atomic bomb drop from reading different textbooks and that he had taught himself English by reading these books.  He shared with us that if he couldn't teach us more about what happened then the signs around the are then he was useless.  I was amazed that he had taught himself English by reading textbooks so that he could share what he loves to do with others.  We spent the afternoon going around the different sites and him explaining the background information of each and the significance that it holds to the Japanese people.

As we were walking around he took us to the hypo-center of where the bomb was dropped and started to explain to us the intensity of the radiation and how it affected people immediately and then he paused and said that he wasn't very sure about the meaning and intensity of the radiation of the atomic bomb.  I stayed quiet and then one of my friends said, Hiro, Jessica is a physicist...and so I spent the next 30 or so minutes explaining the affects of radiation and the atomic bomb.  It was a moment in life that truly made me realize that my passion in life falls within teaching.  The joy in talking with Hiro and helping him understand this particular topic is a moment that brought me an immense and unknown feeling of joy.  Seeing the look in Hiro's eyes as we talked back and forth about the subject and he was able to create an understanding for himself so he could share his information with others was an indescribable moment that all I can do is thank God for enabling me to experience.  Sometimes it is the moments in life that you can't explain or describe that truly have the biggest affects on you.

After this we went over to the Peace Bell and also met up with Hiro's friend who is also a volunteer tour guide.  The Peace Bell is a bell that has a border less globe engraved on it and on the location of where Japan would be is the atomic symbol and the pole that is used to ring the bell its the spot of the atomic symbol.  At this point Hiro's friend asked me to read her textbook and explain to her what it was trying to say about the symbolism of this because she did not quite understand it.  So I explained to her that the symbolism of this was to represent that until all Atomic weapons are destroyed there is no peace, so the bell represents the struggle for world peace and the notion that Japan has forgiven and all they want is peace.  Again, a moment that God has presented in front of me to help reassure me that my omoi, passion, in life lies within teaching.

June 19th is a day that is still on my mind.  It was truly a day that enabled me to live in the now and begin to try and understand the Japanese philosophy of living in the now.  It is moments like these that take my breath away and remind me how powerful genuine interactions with strangers are and there ability to touch my life and truly transform me.  These are the moments that I thank God for.  The inscription on the Peace Bell says "Know Yourself," in my life I have found that through being vulnerable and genuine with others I have been able to learn the most about myself.  Hiro told us right before we went our own ways that "He does what he loves because he loves what he does."

Lent...a chance for change

Every lent I pick some random "things" that I am either going to give up or that I am going to try to do more and every year I last about a week and a half fasting from these things and then go back to my normal activities without truly fulfilling or understanding the true meaning of the season.

This year I decided to stand firm with the things I decided to fast from this lenten season.  Through staying strong to my convictions and surpassing the pressures in life to fault on my lenten promises I have been able to continue reshaping and deepening my relationship with God.  I've learned that there are extremely beneficial personal growth activities to deal with stress that are empowering and motivating.  I've realized that when silence used to scare me it is now one of the most thoughtful and self-discovering beautiful aspects of my life.  I've realized that there is something incredibly powerful and emotional about sitting in mass and truly allowing myself to be open to the presence of God in my life and in the lives of those around me.  I've realized that when you truly believe in something or someone great things can happen.  I've realized that when I am truly thankful and appreciative the most powerful and beautiful words I can say are THANK YOU.  I've realized that I LOVE YOU are powerful important words that aren't said enough to those I love and I've realized how how much those words truly have an impact on me.

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.” ~ Meister Eckhart

Living Life

LIFE...it is definitely the word that has been on my mind lately...and I think these expressions about living your life as your life have really caught my attention.  Sometimes in the craziness of everything that is going on and trying to succeed in life we get caught up and lost in living life true to our passions and vocations in life...and I think as life goes on there are times when we lose sight of what our passions are and what they truly mean to us...

A Beautiful Time of the Year...

There is something truly beautiful about the Christmas season that constantly keeps a smile on my face...it may be my favorite songs constantly on loop on the radio, all of the lights and decorations on display, the amazing family traditions that are shared and cherished or the beautiful memories created with friends and family...BUT mostly I think it is the beautiful opportunity to give back to those we share life with; to truly remember what this season is all about and to be able to share that with not only the ones we know and love but also with strangers and those less fortunate then ourselves.  To share in a simple cup of coffee with a stranger and talk about life, exchange smiles while walking across the street, or giving back in a larger way are all very deep genuine special moments that we were meant to share together.

During this holiday season I dare you to take a chance and share this beautiful journey we call life with someone else...celebrate this life by celebrating the true meaning of this season...

Walking away...

One of the hardest things in life to do is walk away from those that you love...BUT...sometimes walking away is the best thing for both of you...in walking away I pray that we both have the strength to be exactly who God wants us to be...in walking away I pray that we both have the strength to grow as individuals and in our relationships...in walking away I pray that we both have the love and support from others to help us see the beauty of life...in walking away I hope one day we walk back together...

Finding those people...

With the craziness of life and the many adversities that we face every day that challenge who we are as individuals, who we are as a community, where our passions lie, what we stand for but also what we fall for and truly what is held in/touches our hearts it is hard to stay strong and true to the individuals we want to be. 

BUT when you find those people that truly push you to be a better person, challenge you with the hopes of opening your eyes to more, lift you up when you have lost some of your hope and truly walk with you on this journey of life...NEVER LET THEM GO!

Never let the quote "you don't know what you have til its gone" be a reoccurring thought in your life.  Truly cherish the beauty of every individual, because even if you don't recognize it now, every interaction is a life changing one!

Training for the half...

At the beginning of this year I started working out on weekends with an old friend and these weekend workouts turned into a great time to push each other to do better but also allowed us to de-stress and reconnect with each other.  These weekend workouts turned into pushing/supporting each other to work out during the week and really get our bodies/healthy lifestyles back on track...and we were feeling great.  Obviously as time goes on and on life seems to get in the way of routine work outs unless those routine work outs become priorities in your life...this is when I decided that I have always wanted to run a marathon so I made the decision to train for a half-marathon in July.

Deciding on a half-marathon to run was a hard decision because it put my words into action and setting a date that culminated all the hard work of my training.  The benefit behind actually registering for the half-marathon was that it gave me a definite time frame to accomplish my goal...

With the craziness of life I didn't seem to run much in August and I was terrified I was never going to be ready for this half-marathon of 13.1 miles in November...previous to August I had increased my mileage from .5 miles to 3.1 miles at a nice constant pace and I was already so proud of myself for being able to constantly run a 5k.

So I put my words into action...the beginning of September I jumped back on the training schedule and having to start back at 1.5 miles, yes that is what not running for a month will do to you, almost a month later I am at a solid and constant 4 miles and even last weekend I ran 6.8 miles...which is the farthest I have ever run at one time without stopping...

These small accomplishments have helped me realize that you truly can accomplish anything that you put your mind to!  Who knows what will actually happen on race day but as of right now I am empowering myself by setting small goals and believing in myself to accomplish them!

I challenge you to jump out of your comfort zone and start accomplishing those goals that you have set for yourself or that you have always wanted to do...it truly is a rewarding experience! :)