There is a Korean term "In-bok" which means luck to have a number of very good people around. I know I do have that In-bok. Sometimes I wonder what I did so well to have all these good friends around me.
In March, two of those wonderful friends around me have their birthdays, quite close to each other. When I turned my Yoshitomo Nara calendar (a present from another good friend when we went to Nara's exhibition at Asia Society in New York last year!) at the beginning of March, I couldn't help smiling. This month's picture suited so perfect one of the friends who has a birthday this month! The impression of the girl in the picture just reminded me of her. They do not exactly look alike, but I just couldn't help thinking she looked like her!!
So now I get to think about her quite often whenever I look at the calendar.
Today is her birthday.
We have been friends for 11 years and we have been living in different continents for 5 years now. Smart, thoughtful, caring, adventurous girl. Always very awake.
She hosted me so warmly during my stay with her in Tokyo last year, I felt I truly rested after a long, long, long period of tiring years and months.
When Saint-Exupery dedicated his book, THE LITTLE PRINCE, to his friend Leon Werth in France during the year of WWII, he said the reason of the dedication was because his friend "needs to be comforted."
I wish I had something that I could help comfort my friend like Saint-Exupery did because she also needs to be comforted. Though she might not be in a state to celebrate her birthday and have a good time, I hope that she feels her families' and friends' care and love. And I also hope that the affection and concern are not only towards her, but also towards the community and people she cares and worries about very much. I hope this would comfort her even just a tiny bit.
Happy Birthday, my dear friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment