An honest heart. Thank you.

The other day, I went to watch my youngest child's choral performance.
I have three sons in my family.
This is my 13th year at the elementary school.

I've already mastered the routine for saving seats.
My camera setup is also flawless.

The bustling atmosphere of the parents before it begins,
and the chill of the gymnasium in winter that never changes no matter how many years I come,

are things that happen every single year.

Without any particular tension,
I sat in my seat and waited for it to start.

Just as I started to feel the cold creeping up from the floor,
the emcee made an announcement.

The prelude was played,
and as soon as it finally began,

Well, my goodness...

In a 60-year-old gymnasium, it felt almost fragile,
yet the children's powerful and beautiful harmony
rang out as if it were soaring into the sky.

Ah, that's right.
Yes, exactly.
This feeling...

The singing voices of children heard in a gymnasium.

Why is it that
it always moves my heart so much?

With smooth finger movements,
carried by the teacher's piano accompaniment that was both accurate and emotional, conscious of the melody,

and the falsetto that they have become surprisingly skilled at using now that they are in the upper grades,
I can imagine the teacher's strong enthusiasm and guidance behind it.

However,

The way each child stood proudly as they grew,
their expressions,
and their shining eyes
are proof that they sincerely received that guidance.

"Let's deliver a beautiful singing voice together."

Because of their honesty,
a firm will is conveyed.

"An honest heart"

People learn the feeling of caring for someone other than themselves,
even from the time
when they were babies who couldn't even walk yet,
from the people who cherish them.

"You were held, weren't you? That's nice. Say thank you."

"You had something delicious, didn't you? Yes, yummy, yummy.
That's nice. Say thank you."

"Say thank you."

And so on...

Knowing how to say "thank you" to someone who has given you comfort and happiness,
that eventually leads to learning to be grateful and building upon that,
and when you direct that heart toward someone else,

that person feels happiness.
Saying "thank you."

A chain of "thank yous"
nurtures a "heart of compassion."

A "heart of compassion" is, in fact, the reflection in the mirror of
an "honest heart."

If it is reflected in a beautifully polished mirror,

an honest heart remains a true heart and becomes sincerity,

but in a dirty, scratched mirror,

an honest heart becomes defiled, withered, and a heart of falsehood.

The heart of compassion that should have been nurtured
is exposed to the growth and changes of the body and external stimuli,
so it may not be possible for it to remain exactly as it was.

However, we,
seeing them express their honest hearts as true hearts with sincerity,
with their whole body and soul,
through song,

think, "Let's get back those missing parts,"
or "Maybe I should oil the rusty spots,"

and by listening to their clear, ringing voices,
our hearts are surely being stirred.

After heading home through the cold sky, cutting through the wind,
every year without fail,
while rubbing my cold hands and feet just like in the gymnasium,

that sensation of a stirred heart I had forgotten
gently
lights up my heart.

Thank you.

An honest heart,
a singing voice of sincerity just as it is.

Firmly,
yes,
it reached me firmly,
I received it.

Thank you

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