Why don’t you treasure every moment of your life and feel gratefulfor itwithout passing by in haste?

(Updated on August 30, 2005)

No170830

Hello, everyone. I’m Fuyo Haruna.

I see many people around me and I notice that people seldom find joy or feel happyin everyday life; they make themselves too busy, trying to catch up with things allday and every day.
Given a precious life as a human being, however, we all set out to live life on thisearth. Why don’t we treasure every single moment of our life more?

When I look back on all my young days, I didn’t do anything special but I was able toexperience many different things. I’m truly thankful for how my life unfolded.

Of course, I went through a time of ‘endurance’. When I got through it and becamefree, I was full of an enormous joy. The constraints that had bound me made the joyeven greater. The joy of release I felt when I overcame the hurdles is still with me.When circumstances didn’t allow me to do what I wanted to do or people putpressure on me (or I myself might have been doing it), I certainly didn’t have a goodtime. Even so, I did not suffer from it or develop a sense of negativity because of it.However, the sense of release I had at that time is still imprinted in my heart. At myage, I realize that the joy of release created enormous energy.

I had three children very close together. When they were babies, I put all my heartand soul into bringing them up. I would pray to Nature for my children, “Pleasewatch over them and protect them so that they don’t get sick or hurt and pleasehelp them to stay out of trouble”. Because I wanted Her to protect my children, Isaw myself, my inner self, and encouraged myself to be a ‘right’ person even whenjudged by Nature. This is how I brought up my children.

In retrospect, however, I wish I could have enjoyed myself with my children, feelinghow adorable they were, playing with them, and amusing them in a more relaxed way.It is a real pity that I was not open to that at all at that time.

So I want you to treasure every moment of your life, even if you are going throughchallenges. In life, we all have challenges in various forms; if you are a student, youhave to study. If you are a grown-up, you have to work, do housework, and raiseyour children. But don’t just pass by; don’t just work hard. Immerse yourself in themoment you are in and feel grateful for that moment. If you learn to do that, youcan make your life more fruitful. Stop passing by and saying in retrospect that youhad a great time then. Instead, stop to build up a sense of joy that you are happiestat the given moment.

You may look back on your school days when you get old and say that you had agreat time when you were a student because you were free to do anything, be ityour studies or your club activities, but it would have been wonderful if you couldhave been grateful for your freedom while you had it.

You may look back on your busy working days after you retire and say that you hada great time when you were active in the front line, but it would have beenwonderful if you could have been happier about being able to work while you wereworking.

You may look back on your children’s childhood after they get married and haveleft you, but it would have been wonderful if you could have been happy about beingable to raise such adorable children while you were parenting.

It may be tough when you are in the middle of a hardship. You might be hardpressed or just too busy with getting things done every day. If you can findhappiness and joy even in such days of struggle, how great will be the blessing thatbuilds up in your long road of life?

Now, I am enjoying every day of my life. Instead of making a beautiful memory, I liveevery moment to the fullest. I walk on a treadmill for about an hour every morning,for instance. As I take each step, I am exhilarated that I am still fit to walk. Whilemaking my body stronger on the treadmill, I enjoy seeing the view from the window,tremble with the beauty and try to imprint it in my heart. And I am truly happy that Ican do all this, because I know someday I will not be able to do this any more. That’s why I am so pleased that I can do it right now. I want to spend the rest of my lifethis way, all the more so because I have had times when I just made myself busyand passed by.

Very few people really live the current moment and feel happy with it; we are alwayspursuing things one after another or feel pressed by other things. People rarelystop and feel how precious the current moment is, which I’ve come to realize atthis age, 73. I want you to be aware of this while you are young?before you get old.Then, I believe, this will be immensely valuable for you.