Von Voyage (Departure)
| (Tohon Newsletter Vol.3_No.4 Total No.12) An essay by Mrs. Mamiko Castello in Geneva, Switzerland (Michidaira branch church) It has been 16 years since I came to Switzerland. There are tons of stories I can talk, but I had a good opportunity to look back over myself this summer. I want to talk about it. My 13-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son made a trip to Japan by only themselves this summer. From June 23rd through July 22nd, they spent their days at my parent’s church in Kobe, they also went back to Jiba in Tenri and visited my friends’ houses during their stays. While in time, on the other hand, my husband and I spent a life for only two of us for the first time in more than 10 years. Though I had a little worry “what is going to happen to us”, yet I considered myself that it is a good time for us to solve misunderstanding of daily lives between two of us. I had studied French and made every effort to get used to life in Switzerland in my first year. Fortunately, I could get employed in Japanese company here. I continued to work though we had children. I quit my job last summer, and now I am a full-time homemaker. In Switzerland, we can draw an allowance from unemployment insurance for two years, and I still draw it. I had been busy with a job, children and housework for 15 years. So I think that it might be two years relaxation time after that. I want to work again if I have a good opportunity. I was absorbed in my life. Since I turned 40 years old, I have had a simple question, “what am I doing?” I seemed to have a persecution complex for these two years. Saying how I was working so hard in foreign country, I have complained to my husband almost everyday. Complaints often came out of my mouth. It does not make conversation. I underestimated my husband, and I always said that I only led a life of hardship. Because our children weren’t at home, I could quarrel with my husband without worrying about our children. And also we could have enough time to talk each other about our past life. I think we became real husband and wife at last. The trouble with me was I tried to play a good wife, a good mother and a good daughter in-law. I had been troubled with that a real life was far from an ideal life based on Tenrikyo teachings. I think that the trouble got me nowhere. I received the Sazuke when I was 17 years old. And I got a minister qualification while I was at Tenri high school. But thinking back to my life, I think that I understood the teachings only in my mind. I have done service in front of my family shrine everyday since I came here. I have never forced my children to do service so far. Yet there were a few reasons why I let my children to go to Japan by themselves. I wished them not only to learn Japanese but also to feel even a bit of life based on Tenrikyo teachings. My parents told me that my daughter played Surigane (gong) and my son played Chanpon (cymbal) at morning and evening service. I appreciated that they were grown up this summer by truth of my parents. I was much surprised that they asked me to do service together after they came back from Japan. I was embarrassed a little, but we did a service together only once. In their own way, my children have learned and experienced many things in this one month, and they understand my situation as a Japanese mother a little. Maybe it is a little hard for them to understand what Tenrikyo belief is, but they will not forget services which they did at Jiba and my parent’s church. Because of my slow spiritual growth, I felt that God the Parent said to me, “being in high spirits,” through my wonderful children. We were united in marriage by curious turn of fate, thus I want to rebuilt a bright family showing due respect to my husband from now on. “The truth of heaven behind whatever happens.” I think it is quite so. Keeping this word in mind, I will do my best. Return to the top of the page. |
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