A Wife of a Last Samurai
My paternal great-grandmother was a wife of a samurai.
In fact, one from the last generation of samurais.
She was quiet, yet observant. Kind yet, strong.
She was a respectful woman and like any wife of a samurai, was expected to, lived by a principle.
She told my father "Treat people the way you wanted to be treated."
My great-grandmother was a devoted Buddhist who wished for peace.
She watched a Buddhist monk serving everyone regardless of their social status and religious background.
Although this monk was from a different Buddhist sect than hers, she joined his efforts up until the time of her death in the 1940s. Together, they walked along with those who were suffering.
Even though many years have passed since my great-grandmother's death,
she is still remembered by the elders in my family as a kind and compassionate, empathic, and noble woman.
She lived simply and did not have much, yet she shared her compassion with others who needed it.
The change begins with a small individual act.
I never met my great-grandmother, but I feel her presence.
— Saori Miyazaki, MA, LMFT
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