The last journey

Was watching the annual 24 hours event hosted by Nippon Televison. The theme this year is "人生が変わった瞬間”or in English, " The moment my life was transformed" and a story of a lady was shared.

This lady was just like anyone of us living day by day doing the most normal things until one day, she discovered she contracted stomach cancer. To make things worse, the doctor also announced to her that she had only 6 months left. As she was working in Australia then, she decided to go back to Japan for the last 6 months of her life.

What would be your reaction if you were told one day that you only had 6 months left? The possible 60 years of life ahead had all of a sudden shrunk to 1/120 portion. In mathematical terms, every one day has now become merely 12 minutes. I would be in a daze for sure.

This lady however took the unimaginable step. She made the decision.
The decision to embark on a final journey to visit the friends she had made all over Japan. Despite the initial firm objections, her family gave in to her last wish eventually.

She visited the friends she made in school, went on hot spring trips with them.. And when it is time to bid farewell everytime, she did not say good-bye. She told them, " See you again soon."
When she did not manage to see the cherry blossoms bloom that day, she told her friend "Let's come back again next year..."

She went on to live for 8 months despite the inital prediction of just 6 months. In that 8 months, the ailing her went on to visit friends from 30 places all over Japan. Today, her friends still talk of her as if she had just visited them... Her friends do not just remember her for who she is. They carry with them the passion she had for them, an action I am sure had changed their lives.

I was truly amazed not just by her courage but the love she had for her friends. That with that very little time left, she did not choose to stop to just waste time being depressed. She had every right too.
But she wanted to see each and everyone of them again.

It just dawned on me how we just take our friends for granted at times. I am definitely guilty of that... Cancelling appointments just because I want to catch up on some sleep, putting Tv programs before meeting friends etc...

I am definitely humbled by her deed.