three years ago when our WE ARE ONE team and i went to Onagawa, i thought it was the end of the world. it looked like there was a war. i was very depressed at this time wondering why mother nature did this to such a beautiful place.
there was no life anywhere to be found. a totally flattened fishing village in rubble.
they just started to clean up the place, 6 months after the tsunami.
i remember seeing debris piled like mountains all over.
but right around the corner, there was life. we went to this temporary housing and found a whole bunch of happy kids. seeing that made our team very very happy.
then, Kiku-chan guided us to this apartment building. i remember it being very dark with no electricity. most people left but there was the Sato-san family that refused to leave. we unloaded donated things from our vans and took it up. i remember them being a very kind and appreciative family.
we heard the stories. it was a time in my life where i tried to block out things so i wouldn’t break down. it was really a dark time in my life. but to see their smiles brought back the light.
then a few nights ago while i was eating sushi in hawaii, something crazy happened.
i posted this on my blog after i finished dinner. then Kiku-chan texted Matsu, then Matsu texed me. “hey kirby, we went to visit the Sato-san family in Onagawa after the tsunami! do you remember? Sato-san’s uni was the best in japan before the tsunami! it’s really hard to get because everything goes straight to tsukiji market in tokyo.”
OMG! now i totally remember the Sato-san family! i didn’t know they were a fisherman family. but now i do!!! and to have eaten the best uni in the world right here in hawaii from them was unbelievable! just another amazing story coming out of tohoku that gave me chicken skin. i learned so much from our missions to tohoku. i learned never to give up. i learned to be positive. i learned to give. and most importantly, i learned how to love.
To the Sato-san family, I am the happiest person in the world right now! It is like a dream come true to eat your delicious uni right here in hawaii! Keep on sending the world your precious uni, and keep on teaching the world never to give up!
We Are One!!!!
