water…then and now

Gwen Hoeffel rscj Province of Japan

The other day, I attended Benediction when "Mizu no kokoro" was sung. The verses sing of the water which cannot be grabbed but scooped and held gently in the palms of the two hands with fingers tightly closed and of human hearts that need to be treated in the same way. I became aware of a noble, deep and concise insight contained in this short song, which prompted me to write a short essay on water.

The map of Japan shows us the country as a group of islands surrounded by water. I always thought with satisfaction that we never suffered from lack of water and was even proud of it!! It is because Rokko in Osaka-Kobe Area where I was raised, was in those days rich in nature. We had an appropriate amount of rainfall, the air was always fresh, the heavens blue and high, a river flowed by almost every station of Hanshin Line, the sea was at a distance of about a ten-minute walk for a child. It was not necessary to spend a lot of time in order to go mountain climbing or go swimming. We just went where we wanted to go and fully enjoyed ourselves.

Moreover, clear fresh spring water that welled up from behind rocks here and there refreshed me each time I drank it and I felt as if I came to life again. Water from the numerous wells dug in the area was like iced water in summer and warm with steam rising from its surface in winter. The water was quite different from the water supply system of Kobe City of several decades later. There was no question of contamination that produced feelings of anxiety.

About the time the Hanshin Line began to operate, I entered Seishin Joshi Gakuin. The school was on a low mountain top that looked like a high hill surrounded by a wooded area and it became a place where we students found peace and support in our hearts. I remember even now that each school day was wrapped in joy and gratitude. There are so many fond memories of those days, and "water" is one them. Seishin at Mikage had a gate with a roof like any other ordinary house, but its threshold was so high that I had to lift my legs high to go over it. I thought it strange that there was no watchman. A steep narrow path led from the gate, so narrow that only two persons could walk abreast. On the left on top of the hill was a grove of Japanese cedar and pine trees. On the right was a deep valley where many huge boulders lay about and the flowing water splashed against them, sending sprays of water with a terrific roaring sound. Later Seishin moved to Obayashi, and here too I found a river gushing in the valley full of weeds below a large laundry yard.

After finishing the girls' middle school, I went to Tokyo to study at Seishin Senmon Gakko. To my surprise I got just one jug-full of water to wash my face in the morning and the same before retiring!! I had another shock when I had to take my bath with exactly the amount of hot water poured out for me by the law-abiding dear Sister Cullen. It took me some time to get used to this. However, I learned little by little, unconsciously, the value of water. It was after I went up to Tokyo that I found out that I was mistaken in thinking that water and air were plentiful everywhere in Japan. I feel ashamed of my ignorance but I am grateful that I came to know how precious water is.

I heard a long time ago the expression "let the past be washed away by water", meaning "forgive and forget", or "let bygones be bygones". Are these the words of people whose past failings, behaviors, impulsive deeds, worries, sinful acts or other such conduct were forgiven by acts, or were these people were cleansed by the Sacraments or by reparation? It can be a life scene of people who as new, pure, fine, truly human beings are striving to live a beautiful, pure life, who praise God and who are full of gratitude towards people around them.

After decades of years, now-a-days, water is something with a limit, and now and then we are asked to save water. In Japan, manufacturing salt out of sea water has been carried on from ancient times. Many factories are seen along the coast line. I think the sea water after the process of manufacturing salt is drained into rivers as a matter of course.

Now and then I pray to God that in the near future, wonderful ways of making good use of the precious water, which has long been neglected, will be discovered after many experiments and trials by skilful and clever people in the country.

Murakami Hideko rscj
Province of Japan