What is happiness? What is living? What are they?

Hello. I am Umi, a physical therapist, childcare worker, and student of psychology.

When I was a child, I often thought about this during the summer.

Why do cicadas spend years underground, only to live for just one week above ground?
What do they live for?
…Why am I living?


When I became an adult and shared this story with someone, they said this to me:

Maybe cicadas are actually happy while they are underground, and when they come above ground, they might be crying out, 'This is so painful!'


Hearing that, I was struck.

Happiness is something others cannot understand.

And I certainly cannot ask a cicada how it truly feels.

I was made aware of my biased thinking, and I still cherish these words today.

I have been in the field of medical welfare for about 20 years, and I truly feel that living and happiness are very difficult concepts.

When talking with elderly people, I sometimes hear words like these:

I'm still waiting for heaven to come and pick me up.

Some say this with a smile, but deep down, there must also be fear and anxiety about living.

We, as rehabilitation professionals, want to be a presence that supports both the mind and the body.

True feelings differ from person to person, and they can change without us even realizing it.

That is why I want to be flexible.

I want to be a presence that can gently embrace those around me.

As an aside, something like this happened at work today.

There was someone who shook my hand with tears in their eyes, saying, 'I wanted to see you, and I was looking forward to you coming today.'

This was someone I hadn't been able to see for a while due to an injury.

I felt happy, wondering if I had become a part of that person's happiness.


For me, being able to be involved, even a little, in someone's joy or peace of mind might be what happiness and living are all about.