Goodbye

A final farewell.  So many people are leaving this year.  Reflecting on each person's unique energy and what they bring to our community, what they bring to whatever world they touch, how they change it.  Living here is not just living in Japan, it's living in a very small community of people.  And learning from this has probably been as much a part of my growth this year as the language and customs of this new country.  Each person carries so much with them and it is impossible to hide from it, to be blind to it.  Life is hard.  Life is beautiful.  We all carry it with us.  It hurts us, we suffer from ourselves and others, and we find ways to laugh and smile within it.  What a strange dance.  We are only here for such a short time.