One Friend at a Time.

This afternoon, I was looking for a particular book that I needed for my writing project. While looking, I found another book on my shelf that I had not picked up for years, and it stopped me,, for a good reason. What a journey I have had in terms of friends,,,,and how true this book is. This book was a gift from one of our neighbors for my third birthday in July, 1969. I have a distinct memory of my third birthday party my mother had for me at our house when we lived in the University Housing at the University of Wisconsin (Madison WI). I remember that the family who gave me this book lived a few doors down from us and had two boys a bit older than me. The university housing was likely a cluster of very small duplex housing for many young researchers and their families, but my memory of this is that the house was roomy with living room,

Several neighbors were foreign researchers from India, Germany, or Japan like my father was. There were also many young US families at the University Housing. 

The book is called "A friend is someone who likes you" and I was surprised to find out that this book is still in print... But I probably should not be surprised.

Well, Unfortunately, I apparently practiced my penmanship in this book quite a bit. Perhaps, I was just getting keen on 'practicing' letters those days. Some letters I drew appear to be Hiragana (Japanese letters) and some are letters of alphabet, but mostly not accurate and don't make sense.

I don't remember if I could read this book on my own at age three in English, but I think this book was very special to me based on how often I must have pulled it out to look at it when I was young or wrote in it. After we returned to Japan, it served as a memory that I did spend sometime in this far place called Wisconsin. I kept it with me all my life and it is the only item I have from that particular third birthday. (crazy, but I have distinct memory of three other gifts that I received that day! One was a sweet stuffed rabbit made of terry cloth like fabric. It had pink ears. I do remember this rabbit becoming quite worn and fell apart eventually)

This book talks about 'friends' and defines that your friend can be your pets you have, or trees that bear fruits for you, or even wind that sings to you. Of course, it talks about human friends of all kinds and reminds you that you may be walking passed a friend and you say to yourself that you don't have any friends. Some may have many friends and some have a few friends. It reminds you to 'move very slowly, and look around carefully, to see someone who smiles at you in a special way... or a dog that wags its tail extra hard....a tree that lets you climb it easily,,,, or a brook that lets you be quiet when you want to be quiet. Sometimes you have to find your friend.' The

It is not a book that should be simply categorized as a Kids' book. It is quite meaningful to me today.

I have enjoyed the blessings of having so many different kinds of friends. Cancer that I experienced in my 30's really brought the concept of friends in a different light, too. But going there would make this post too long.

Some are the kind of friends who are willing to see you when you are at the ugliest and least motivated, others are the friends who are willing to go extra miles to make sure that I get to the other end safely. I can truthfully say that I have friends who blessed me in my life, both here and abroad in all ages.

I definitely don't have to look too far to find friends who are precious to me, who are there for me during both the tough times and happy times. I so appreciate every friend who 'likes me' like this book is titled by the author, Joan Walsh Anglund. If you have time, you would enjoy looking around for your special friends. Enjoy them, appreciate them, and look in their eyes and tell them you love them. They would appreciate hearing your say "thank you", ............while you have the time to do so...........I want to remember every friend I have in a special way with gratitude,,,,,,,,,,one friend at a time.

本日、原稿を書きながらある本を探していたら全然違うある本を見つけてしまって思考がストップしてしまった。ともだちのテーマの絵本、でも正直いうと中身は結構大人にとっても貴重な内容の本。当時すごく流行った本だということが改めてわかった。残念ながら、おそらく字を書くことに興味を持っている頃だったらしく、書く練習を本に結構してしまっている。。でもそれを見ていて思ったのは、アルファベットかひらがなか、何語がわからない字も出てくる。日本へ４歳過ぎで戻って完全に英語を忘れてしまい中学ではThis is a Map から初めて苦労をしたけれど、2−４歳のときに確かに近所の友人に声をかけて何らかの会話をした記憶があるので英語で話していたらしい。３歳の誕生日パーティーを我が家でしてもらったこと、実はかなり鮮明に覚えている。写真は一つも残っていないのだけれど。いただいたこの本以外に他になぜか ３つ別のプレゼントを今もよく具体的に覚えている。どこへ行っちゃったんだろう。この本は今だからこそ改めて、ともだち、というコンセプトをよく表現しているなと感動した。