[Appreciation Note] A single grape became my reason for living. - How will you spend your limited time? -
Do you know Xeno, who overcame a one-in-a-hundred-thousand cancer and is now aiming to become a grape farmer?
Some of you reading this note may already know him.
For me, Xeno is one of my favorite writers on Note.
Xeno's notes are overflowing with kindness and warmth for everyone.
However, that is not all.
Xeno's words contain...
A "resolve to live"
"How to spend your limited time"
—I feel that these deep, quiet questions are embedded within them.
We tend to take it for granted that today, tomorrow, and the day after will continue in the same way.
But in reality,
life is time itself, and
time is limited for everyone.
It was Xeno who made me realize that importance.
Having experienced a major illness, Xeno changed the way he faces life.
Instead of continuing on a stable path, he and his wife chose to start from scratch to become grape farmers.
That surely could not have been an easy decision.
I imagine there was anxiety.
I imagine there was fear.
Even so, I believe Xeno decided to use the time of his life not for a life dictated by someone else, but
to live in a way that is true to themselves.
Among Xeno's notes, there are words that have left a deep impression on my heart.
They are...
The words gifted to Xeno by his grandmother
[ The “Ha-Hi-Fu-He-Ho” of Happiness ]
When I encountered these words,
I felt a sense of relief deep in my chest.
I have to do my best,
I have to do things properly,
more, more, more...
In the days when I was pushing myself like that,
His grandmother's "Ha-Hi-Fu-He-Ho of Happiness"
gently embraced me just as I am.
Zeno's life in the hospital, which he fought through alongside these words from his grandmother,
was apparently so difficult that even eating was a struggle.
What saved Zeno was a single grape.
Just one single grape.
That one grape would go on to significantly change Zeno's life.
Eating.
Tasting.
Feeling alive.
Things we take for granted in our daily lives
can sometimes become a guidepost for life.
I don't think this grape was just a piece of fruit to Zeno.
It was,
the hope he found during a painful time,
the catalyst for choosing his life all over again,
and a symbol of his resolve to walk into the future with his wife.
Here, please let me write a little about myself.
To begin with, why was I...
so drawn to Zeno's note?
My past has something to do with it.
Since high school, I have been interested in poverty and food issues in developing countries, street children, and the like, and I participated in nature conservation activities.
Because of that experience, there was a time when I was involved in agriculture in Japan and Australia.
When I was at a farm in Japan, I taught agriculture to the children entrusted to our care.
Touching the soil,
sowing seeds,
what we can do to help vegetables grow.
I still clearly remember how happy I felt every time I saw the expressions on the children's faces change little by little
during that time.
That experience became a turning point, and I later went on to work in child support.
(At the time, I never imagined it would lead to such a future...)
I met various children at farms and in child support settings.
・A child who had a complex about their face from a young age and found it difficult to smile
・A child who had difficulty eating at home due to family circumstances
・A child who was quietly hurt by the gap between what adults say and what they really mean
The feelings of each child.
The circumstances of the adults.
I witnessed the places where both of these intersected many times.
That is precisely why, when I read Zeno's note,
the faces of the children I met in the past suddenly came to mind.
I wonder how those children are doing now...
Are they able to smile happily...
Are they eating properly...
Such thoughts welled up from deep within my chest.
Now, I am away from both agriculture and the field of child support.
Even so, Zeno's
"With our own hands,
we want to deliver the grapes we grew from scratch
to everyone."
I truly empathized with that passionate desire.
That one grape might become someone's smile.
That one grape might soothe someone's tired heart just a little.
That one grape might become someone's hope, just as it saved Zeno himself.
When I thought that, I naturally...
"I want to support Zeno and his wife!"
"I would love to support you!!"
I truly felt that way from the bottom of my heart.
Mr. and Mrs. Zeno,
have recently
opened an online store✨
I visited it right away, and...
from the moment the site filled my screen,
it felt so comfortable,
and a sense of peace flowed through it✨✨
And,
beyond the screen, I could feel the journey of Mr. and Mrs. Zeno and their passion for grapes,
which warmed my heart deeply.
I really want you all to experience that comfort as well.
Here is the online store, packed with Mr. Zeno's passion▼
Isn't it just wonderful?💗
Meeting Mr. and Mrs. Zeno, who are trying to grow a single grape that will lead to someone's smile while facing the time they have in life,
is an irreplaceable treasure for me.
Growing grapes is by no means an easy task.
You are at the mercy of the weather,
and sometimes things don't go as planned.
Due to pests and diseases,
sometimes you don't get the results you hoped for.
There are things you must learn,
and walls you must overcome,
I am sure there are many.
Even so, I believe that Mr. and Mrs. Zeno
will surely move forward one step at a time.
Hand in hand with his wife,
along with his grandmother's "ha-hi-fu-he-ho",
nurturing connections with the local community...
And, someday, delivering the "ultimate grape" that will remain in someone's heart
I believe that such a future
is waiting for you.
Rather than saying "good luck,"
I hope that the journey of Mr. and Mrs. Zeno
will be woven together with the soil, water, wind, sun, and
gentle, warm connections and bonds with people✨
And I hope that this circle of connections
will lead to everyone's smiles and happiness, and continue to spread✨
Mr. Zeno's note is here▼
You might find a page that helps you rethink your life📖