TRAGEDY THAT STRUCK THE U. S. SEP. 11, 2001
| (Tohon Newsletter Vol.3_No.1_Total No.9) By Mrs. Shimizu Mariko Living in New York, N.Y., U.S.A. (Hon-shiro branch church) As I was firmly determined to write down my feeling about the tragedy on Sep. 11, the Tenrikyo Mission New York Center gave me a commission to write an essay about it. Although it has unsettled my mind, I try to retrace my memory in two weeks. Most of New Yorker, including me, used to see WTC (World Trade Center) everyday with our attachment to it, and had a feeling that WTC was set up in our garden. I think not only me, but others recall WTC, which is not being now, in tears. I could not recognize what was happening when WTC seen at close quarters crumbled down. It just incomprehensible to me, and then I began trembling with fear at the sight with quick heart beating. I could not calm myself. All I could do was praying to God the Parent. Leaning out of window, I had a feeling that I could hear sirens of patrol car, fire engine, ambulance, and scream of walking people. In three days any man and car were prohibited from coming into Soho area where I live, and it looked like ghost town with indescribable silence. The city was just like under martial law. I felt people are not likely to admit this fact and they seemed to be telling themselves to remain calm. New Yorkers are very powerful indeed! It was God the Parent that helped and supported me. Visiting Japan, not only my husband but also the owner of our restaurant, my younger brother, weren’t home on those days but God the Parent always stood by me in difficult times. I became filled with gratitude. I wished our restaurant opened as soon as possible so that we could make the town become full of life as it was before. Thank to our staff’s help, we could reopen the restaurant four days after the tragedy. “I took it for granted that I worked and had a meal everyday, but now it seems as if it is miracle. We can work in ordinary way, and things get along smoothly. Now we understand how wonderful such situations are. However, there were thousands of casualties in the area close by. I learned from this occurrence that our mission is to make ourselves people who can accept the sufferings of others as our own. We must not forget, in our lives, what has happened. Let’s welcome customers to our restaurant cheerfully.” The above was a little speech on the first day of reopening. My joy was but short-lived. We found gas-leakage occurring at mid night. We narrowly escaped being hurt in this accident. The gas is still off as all of gas company staff are busy with their work at the scene of WTC. I was really grateful that it was nothing serious. Since we received the wisdom, the courage and the determination from the God the Parent, we could open our restaurant on Sep. 22. We have to consider the truth behind the event occurred, and accept the fact that God the Parent admonish us severely because of God the Parent’s concern for our welfare. I think God the Parent gave us opportunity, through this tragedy, to reconsider what cause strife all over the world. It is the deep intention of God the Parent that we earnestly try to become warmhearted people, whose united minds call forth the world filled with happiness. I have to thank you very much for your words of encouragement. Return to the top of the page. |
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