Mother's 13th anniversary

Working hard in the garden/farm, I realized it was my mother's 13th anniversary today. I knew of this important anniversary for me in the end of this month. Honestly, I was almost getting it through. However, the longer it got since her passing, the oftener I recall of her in daily life.

Mother met father at a small sanatorium for poor tuberculosis patients during WW2, which our aunt managed at this same place as we live right now. Father was sent to the war in China. In the end of the war, they have married and were given 3 children including myself. This photo of my parents with my sister shows what porverty they lived in those days. They still look peaceful and possibly hopeful for the life ahead despite of the poverty. 

Soon, tuberculosis could be treated with antibiotics and such a small sanatorium has lost its meaning in the society. Our aunt has decided to close it down. My parents have decided to go to Tokyo for new life. I have reiterated this same story in this blog.

My mother used to work at a Salvation Army hospital in a suburb of Tokyo. She went for work early in the morning and came back home to care for us and give us simple breakfast for a while. Then she went back to the hospital on a bicycle. What a hard work it was for her. She was still always cheerful and tender to all of us.

It must be a challenge for my parents to raise the family in Tokyo. It could be called as an ordeal for them. But always with much hope for the future. 

Reaching the old age myself, we are another difficulty in life, individual and social at the same time. I feel we could hardly be so optimistic for the future, different from ths situation my parents used to face to at the time of exodus to Tokyo. My mother might tell me not to worry so much and to do what I need to do. With her gentle smile.

In 5 days, my brother and his wife will come to see us from Iwate. I will prepare my special curry and rice for them. We may talk of good old memories of my parents and of the lives in childhood in Tokyo over glasses of beer.   

It is the time for me to exchange the cell phone old and infrequently used.

 My cell phone is pretty old. Maybe, around 15 years of usage. 

When, working at own practice, I sometimes had patients who should be monitored throughout the night. In such a case, I gave them and their family members my phone number and told them to give me a call when they got worse. I have had an emergency call once or twice in a month. But, seemingly, they were relieved to be able to get in touch with me, even though I had to tell them I should switch off the cell phone at midnight. 

My old cell phone has a large data of those patients' phone numbers. When I quit working at own practice, I wondered what to do with it. I thought some patients or their family members might had consulted to me on the phone when they had any health issue. Actually, it turned out nothing. I understood the patients won't rely on me when they lose relationship with me as a doctor in charge or they have found certain new doctor in charge. On the other hand, I often recall some of them even in dream. The other day, I realized they had become grown up and even became parents themselves for now. 

So I believe it is the time for me to get away from the sentimentalism of being a doctor in charge of those people. I still have good memories of them. When I thought to be a doctor, I was thinking of becoming a school teacher. In that case, at their alumni reunion, I could have seen the pupils or the students whom I was the class room teacher for. How nice it could be if I could see the patients grown up and living at various positions in the society. 

Unfortunately, I am not able to see them any longer. Just wishing them happiness and good health.

Quiting such a daydream, I should change this old cell phone to a new one or to a smartphone. It is the time for me to go ahead. Can I manage a new phone by myself?

Matthew's Passion played by Ozawa with SKO possibly in memory of Takemitsu

It was the Easter in the last week end. It is the time when we listen to Matthew's Passion by Bach. 

Talking of that great music, I can't forget of Toru Takemitsu who has loved it so much throughout his life. I have mentioned about it a few times in this blog as follows for example.

https://nuttycellist-unknown.blogspot.com/2017/03/takemitsu-tarkovsky-and-matthews-passion.html

In relation with him, I also recall of Seiji Ozawa who has recently passed away. In the article which I wrote about him, I quoted the performance of the Passion by him conducting Saito Kinen Orchestra in 1997. I realized it was a year later since Takemitsu's death. I know Ozawa has known how important that music was for Takemitsu and speculated Ozawa had played it in memory of Takemitsu. 

Given that Ozawa has chosen it for that purpose, this rendition sounds even more poignant to us. It is marvellous that we are captured with catharsis of peace and serenity beyond the tragedy when we reach the end chorus. It's beyond our logic or imagination.