The Day I Went to Meet Them

Hello.

The other day, I
had an experience for the first time in my life🫣

I went to actually meet someone
I got to know on note☺️

The reason was simply, "Because I want to meet them"☺️

The person I met was
Natsuko-san and her guide dog, Happy-ojou🐾

As we exchanged messages on note,
I had been thinking, "I hope we can meet someday"
with Natsuko-san and Ojou.

However, about three weeks ago,
Natsuko-san's vision changed,
and she lost the things she relied on,
like light and presence,
and she said she was in a state where walking was scary😢

I thought perhaps
it wasn't the right time now,
and that we could meet when she was feeling better.
I had assumed that on my own, but

Natsuko-san reached out to me a little while ago.

She said she had been hesitant due to her health,
but that she decided to go because she felt it would be okay
if she went at a comfortable pace and took breaks.

She was getting used to going out little by little,
her pain had settled down,
and she added a positive sentiment, saying she "wants to enjoy what she can within her limits."

Of course,
I didn't know what would happen until the day arrived.

Even so,
I replied to Natsuko-san like this.

"It's fine to go at a relaxed pace,
within your limits☺️
If our schedules align,
I'll pop by to visit too.
I'd be happy if we could meet."

And then, the day arrived.

Natsuko-san posted on X,
"I'm heading out now!"

Seeing that,
I also went out with my children.

We hadn't decided on a specific time or place.
We just believed we would be able to meet,
and headed out with the children ☺️

In the car,
we listened to 'Happy Ojo Life'.

Happy Ojo is a guide dog.

While she is working,
you must not touch her or call out to her unnecessarily.

I reaffirmed this with the children.

The children are fans of Happy Ojo,
so they said things like 'We know, we know,' but I was worried they might jump on her out of the joy of finally meeting her 🫣🫣

We met a little while after arriving at our destination.

The moment I saw her figure,
I knew immediately,
'Oh, that's Natsuko-san and Ojo.'

Although it was the moment the children had been waiting for after spotting Happy Ojo in the distance,
they didn't rush over suddenly,
and I was relieved that they were able to wait
while properly observing Happy Ojo at work.

Natsuko-san and Happy Ojo.
Strangely enough, when we actually met,
it didn't feel like the first time we had met 😳

Even though our interactions on note so far
have been through text,
I felt that our connection was real,
and I felt happy realizing that our feelings had truly reached each other ☺️

A little while after we met, Natsuko-san
took off Ojo's harness.

Taking off the harness means it's off-duty mode.


Happy-ojou was so cute! 😁💕


When the children handed her
her favorite meat treats,
she gave them a quick lick,
and ate them happily. 🤭✨

And after that, it was walk time.

Wagging her tail like crazy, she rolled around on the ground.

The children, who were nervous at first,
were captivated in an instant,
and they held the leash and walked through the park together. ☺️

The expressions on the children's faces,
and how Ojou was doing—everything was so precious,
and I just simply enjoyed that time together.

While talking with Natsuko-san,
even if it wasn't put into words at the time,
there were things that came across.

As was also written in her note,
the source of Natsuko-san's energy
is seeing Ojou living happily and healthily!


I think Natsuko-san
wanted Ojou to have a good time on this day, too! 😌

Even though Natsuko-san cannot see,
I think that by feeling
what Happy-ojou is seeing and feeling in that scenery,
and by feeling her enjoyment right by her side,
they were able to share a happy feeling
while breathing the same air. 😊

That way of being
was so rich and warm.

Before I knew it, my own heart
had become calmer than usual.

While walking together,
I witnessed firsthand just how difficult
it is to navigate small steps or narrow paths.

In a place you've never been, you don't know which way to go, and it's hard to gauge distances.

Knowing how far it is
from where you are now to your destination
is also very difficult to understand with just prior information.

Seeing how Ojo's presence supports Natsuko-san in such moments,

I felt that a guide dog is
not just a being that guides the way,

but a "partner" for taking a step forward with peace of mind,
and an important presence for connecting with the outside world.

A presence that gently guides you, saying "It's okay," amidst the anxiety of not being able to see.
With that presence,

the places you can go increase,
and the things you can challenge yourself with increase.

I thought I understood the importance and necessity of guide dogs as knowledge,
but seeing them with my own eyes,
it finally left a real impression on my heart.
My meeting with Natsuko-san this time



was not something that ended with
just being happy and having fun,

but it also became an opportunity to think about what a truly kind world is.

The day my interaction on note became a reality.

Natsuko-san, I was so happy to meet you!!
Thank you 💓


And, I was happy that Ojo and
the children were having fun ☺️

Thank you for the souvenir too 😁✨

Happy Ojo, who will be retiring this year.
Happy Ojo, whom the children love so much.

I was truly happy to have been able to
see her working as a guide dog.

I hope we can meet again ☺️
Natsuko-san, Happy Ojo.

Thank you so much
for enjoying it along with your partner ☺️✨
really, thank you.

I call her Happy Ojo in the article,
but Ojo is the idol of the Takers office 💕

👇️ Ojo's magazine is here