Understanding Perspectives

“One Liter of Tears (一リットルの涙) is a diary of a young girl who was diagnosed with spinocerebellar degeneration at the age of 15. As her illness progressed, she gradually lost the ability to walk, talk, and communicate her thoughts. She constantly worried about her future and thought about death very often. She teaches us a story of the meaning of life and those around us.

Through reading One Liter of Tears, I learned that each person views life through different perspectives. Instead of questioning why others can't achieve what I can, I now focus on understanding the challenges and barriers hidden beneath them.

I work in a fishing company and a life insurance company in my town. One year ago, a sixty-year-old woman came to my workplace to pay her insurance. She mentioned that she had walked thirty minutes to get to my office. I checked her address and determined that it should not take thirty minutes from her home to the office, so I suspected she might have a leg injury. I offered to drive her home, and it turned out that she did have a leg injury. I was happy to have helped her.

Sometimes, I overthink and make mistakes. For example, that old woman might not have been injured at all. But, I still believe that it is better to take the risk and help people and potentially make their day better than to ignore them and make them have a bad day.”

From R.H.

23 June 2024

Translated from Japanese to English