With all the media coverage on SUPER BLUE MOON today and it’s eclipse this morning, I cannot help but to think that my cousin, still relatively young/old journeyed to the Moon to be with her mom, my aunt who also left for the other world a little over a year ago. Just got the notice that my dear cousin in Japan took her last breath in the arms of her husband.
There’s an ancient Japanese folklore that a Princess “Kaguya-Hime” returns to the Moon on full moon evening and … she is welcomed back by a royal court up in the heavens, awaiting her return. It’s almost that for my lovely cousin who had been battling late stage cancer for the last 13 years. I did not get to see her in my latest visit because she was not well enough ? but last February when I saw her, she gave me a gift at a trendy cafe, called HATAKE (The Farm), in Aoyama. A Farm to Table Concept – in this area known to be pretty chic, the place was packed with young girls and lovely ladies – if fact one of them recognized my cousin and came over to say hello. She turns out to be her friend from college days. Her friend looked vibrant and elegant. My cousin, on the other hand, looked visibly frail and not … well. I felt very sad for her. This restaurant was just the kind of place a former cosmopolitan architect/designer, now living in the country beachfront for health reasons, would choose to meetup when coming back to the City – Omotesando, Tokyo.
She then gave me a book on yoga (in Japanese) that her girlfriend, a yoga teacher, gave her. She passed that book onto me which did not look like it’s been read – the pages too fresh and crisp as though it’s never been turned at all actually – she said she wanted it to be put to much better use by someone like me, she then said, knowing how much I was into yoga. She had little stamina and strength left was the impression I had. Had I been nearby, I would have practiced another kind of Yoga to boost her mood and regenerate her energy level. But this warrior battling cancer was … tired. She was tired of fighting the battle. What she needed was Yoga4Cancer, the kind that Stanford Medical offers to the community to preserve the fighting warrior spirit. The kind started by Lorien Neargarder at Stanford and taught by Niroga graduate, Jido … could have helped her so much. She refused all life-prolonging supports, according to her husband. By so doing, she reclaimed her life, took back the control. In another way, she remained a fearless warrior – Fear did not dictate her anymore – She took command over her own body, mind … her own destiny. She reclaimed human dignity and designed a fade-out, in the arms of a man she loved.
Sa – Birth
Ta – Life
Na – Death
Ma – REBIRTH
On air, I heard an astronomer say that in this vast galaxy, “we are all made of stardust” – really literally, figuratively and scientifically. We are made of stardust?
Apparently so according to science. So I dedicate Sa Ta Na Ma mantra to her … Kiyomi … in celebrating her life here on this earth and … beyond. Kiyomi-chan, we miss you:
“We are all stardust.”
We sparkle and shine.
