The words “It was a good life.” have stayed with me for many years.
They were the final words spoken by Komatsu Tatewaki in the Japanese historical drama Atsuhime.
Watching that drama changed the course of our lives and eventually led us to move to Kagoshima.
Now that I am older, I sometimes find myself wondering what it really means to look back and say, “It was a good life.”
No matter how much we accomplish in life, I suppose there will always be something we wish we had done differently.
I never wanted to reach the end of my life carrying nothing but regrets.
At the same time, I also knew that it would be impossible to live without any regrets at all.
I thought about this for many years.
Gradually, I came to feel that many of my regrets were connected to the things I was unwilling to let go of.
As I slowly learned to let go of those attachments, my heart became much lighter.
Perhaps that simply comes with age.
But when I look honestly at myself, I don’t think it is about giving up.
If anything, I feel I may have grown just a little.
Some time ago, I wrote another article about what it means to reach the “peak” of life.
Perhaps the happiest moments are not the peaks we remember, but the quiet happiness that is already with us today.
If we treasure the happiness that is right in front of us, perhaps one day we will be able to look back and say, “It was a good life.”
Thinking that way makes me want to live each day a little more fully.
That was what came to my mind today.
If you enjoyed the story of Atsuhime, you may also enjoy this article about Komatsu Tatewaki.
Kusanomido
Why Did His Wife Build a Grave for His Concubine? – The Two Women Who Supported Komatsu Tatewaki
出張や観光で霧島に来られた方で、
静かに過ごせる場所を探している方は、こちらもご覧ください。
