In 2020, There Were a Lot of Contemplations
(日本語版あり）
Below is the letter that I enclosed in this year’s Christmas cards.
I hope this letter finds you safe.
My life motto is “Things happen, life happens,” but even I couldn’t have imagined living through a pandemic.
It’s times like these that make you contemplate life.
Through this pandemic, I above all came to appreciate the things I do have. Yes, aspects of my life became inconvenient, but ultimately it is merely that: an inconvenience. I am still able to work remotely from the comforts of my home and I continue to receive a monthly paycheck. Many are not as fortunate. There are those who lost their jobs and countless others who are working on the frontlines, exposing themselves to the dangers of the virus.
In times like these I recall the words of the late Tim Russert, spoken at my college graduation: “to whom much is given, much is expected.” No doubt I am given much, able to keep my life intact even through a pandemic. I’m not confident I’m living up to that which has been given to me, but this year was a reminder that I must never stop striving for the better.
Through the pandemic, I also learned a bit about myself.
In normal times I’m often busy away from home, so when the Japanese government declared a state of emergency in April, I thought, for a change, I would spend some quiet time at home, reading books. But I soon found myself busy with a new challenge called cooking, even if I clearly lacked the skills. By the fall, I accepted an offer from Temple University to teach another semester of U.S. Constitutional Law, at which point I realized that I simply cannot stand still, regardless of circumstances.
The pandemic was also an opportunity to experience vulnerability.
For months after April I refrained from going out, but around the end of the summer, I came to the realization that I was entering a state of melancholiness. For better or for worse, I thrive while being in the company of others. When I lost that part of myself, I was able to seek help from those around me, who in turn helped guide me back to a better place. I was greatly thankful for that.
In 2020, I couldn’t do the many things I wanted to do or meet the many people I wanted to meet. As a result I thought about wanting to hit an undo button and redo the entire year. But as I look back on the year and reflect on what I’d learned and think about the promotion in shogi I finally achieved, I realize that there are important things to take away from this past year; resetting it is not necessarily a desirable thing.
I pray that next year will bring back some peace and normalcy, but whatever the year 2021 holds, I hope that it will be a year of learnings and contemplations.
I wish you a Merry Christmas, and may you have a healthy 2021.
