Tokyo - Humble before your love
Healing moments of surrender
I’m in Shinjuku, fighting a tough virus I’ve been fiercefully struggling with since the second week of our China tour… I clearly am in bad shape… But my spirit is always uplifted when I’m home… Being in Japan has always been a true blessing for me… The sweetness of what I know being my home is a vivid healing whisper as I surrender my health condition at the compassionate feet of the moment I’m living since I arrived 3 days ago… So much emotions in such a short period of time… It’s hard to contain the effusion of such profound feelings… The sweetness of sharing moments with family members always has been a true blessing for me… A one of a kind type of treasure…
Yesterday has been incredibly emotional for every one of us, as we visited the Minami-Sanriku-Cho area… As we’ve met with the courageous volunteers of the shelter… As we’ve walked in the remains of a city that used to be so beautifully build by the ocean… As we became part of the sceneries we’ve seen over and over on the news since the tragedy occurred… As we’ve heard the stories of heroes who gave their lives in order to save others… It was truly the embodiment of the heart and soul we had when we initiated the Hope Project… I’m still so moved that I can’t truly write about the feelings I’ve experienced… So I decided to share with you an interview I gave to the Yomiuri newspapers, hoping you’ll be able to envision a little glimpse of my heart…
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What did you feel and think when you looked at the city (Minami-Sanriku-cho area) today?
It was very difficult to think or to feel… I was paralyzed and had a hard time to breathe. It felt like time stopped for a few seconds. Tears were quietly falling down my cheeks, and I was hardly able to move. Even if I had already seen the images on the news, even if the scenery was strangely familiar, becoming a part of those images and becoming a live figure of the scenery was really humbling to me. I can’t understand the nature of such profound pain associated with the recent tragedy. But somehow, as I was walking through the remains of the city, looking at the peaceful sky and feeling the kindness of the wind, I had a deep sensation of hope blooming in my heart, and those feelings were even stronger when I met the volunteers and the survivors. I knew, deep in my heart, that the loss of loved ones would be honored by a redefined celebration of life…
What’s your thought for the hope project since you started?
I started the Hope Project as a way to give an opportunity for people all over the word to add a personal spark to the uplifting spirit needed for life to be a firing element in the people arising… But I soon realized that the survivrors and the Japanese people’s courage became an empowering wind for everyone. We all became part of the movement. And everyone involved in the Hope Project (survivors, volunteers, initiators, supporters) has seen their courage reconstructed and redifined…
What kind of impact do you want to make for the people ( who had earthquake) with this project ?
I humbly want the victims to know they are not alone, and that millions of people are inspired by their courage…
Can you introduce yourself?
To be truly honest, who I am ain’t really important. With everything I’ve witnessed today, I feel like my heart has been born again, enlightened by so much courage and dignity… It’s like the first day of a new life for me. Hope is the true nature of the people I met today. They are the incarnation of the values I want for my own life. Their hopeful spirits gave the bright colors to the magnificent sky and the healing wind I’ve witnessed today. And every time I will see such magnificence, I will pray for the people of Minami-Sanriku-cho, thankful for the man I became after meeting them. I can’t wait to visit again. As for today, I will tell everyone that they are the embodiment of hope and that I am empowered. The rest of it is a potential overshadow on the true important people - the people who decided to believe in life - the volunteers, the people from all over the world who had their heart moved enough to write a message, draw a hopeful symbol or simply write their name to let people know they are not alone.
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And as we got back, we had the blessing to celebrate life with Rina, who along with her parents, invited us for dinner at Yuku’s restaurant… The effusion of joy we experienced last night has been a wonderful reminder of the importance of embracing life, despite the circumstances of what we live. A season could be hard, but it is always followed by a hopeful morning filled with the exultation of joy. That’s how I woke up this morning. Still really sick, but looking at the rising sun, I know that the promise of living an uplifting day is more than just a symbolic wish; it’s the choice of becoming the transformation I’ve been longing to see embodied around me…
Love You - Alex
From a coffee shop already excited to meet friends, brothers, sisters, fans and loved ones in Osaka tomorrow…