My daughter, who has repeatedly undergone surgeries since her childhood, has lost her voice as an after-effect of the latest surgery. I cannot let go of my deep regret. (Female in her 50s)
A
A life of a family member should be involved and supported by all the families. When you live in such a family environment calling out to and encouraging one another, you can have the strength to move forward and live out your life to the full without fail, even if problems do arise to one of the family members.
Shinji(*1)
Each family member should live understanding their own places and responsibilities in the family, and calling out to one another.
No matter how much the time passes and their positions change, the kokoro (*2) of family members will always come together and continue to live in their Kokoro no Michi (*3).
The kokoro of the family members will be protected forever in the hands of Kami (*4), allowing them to live in good health.
As time passes, one’s physical conditions, living environments, and one’s roles in the family will go on to change. Your daughter’s loss of voice after the surgery is what happened in the flow of life. You should not regret it because it is the result of a treatment necessary for her to live. What is important now is for all your family to accept her reality. This will enable you to see how you should get involved with her. If she cannot speak, find other ways of communication, such as learning to communicate in sign language, in writing, or by email.
As a family. when you are always there for your daughter and support her, then her goodness and strength will be brought out in her own way, allowing her dreams and aspirations to grow more and more. True health means to live with gratitude and positive emotions, such as “Thank Kami she’s alive!” rather than “I’m sorry for her who cannot speak.”
*1 Shinji: The principles and teachings that are the word of Ōyamanezunomikoto and given to us through Shisha.
*2 Kokoro: The thoughts and emotions that constantly move between the soul (unmei) and the physical body (jittai); if the kokoro is influenced by our temperament and other physical predispositions of our jittai, it becomes unbalanced; if it becomes one with our unmei, the kokoro becomes balanced and anchored.
*3 Kokoro no Michi: The principle about the path of the kokoro that all human beings traverse their entire life; it is the principle of Kami, Hotoke, Hito no Michi that Ōyamanezunomikoto revealed to the world through Shisha; at the end of our life journey, the eternal soul and our life path continues on through our descendants.
*4 Kami: Great power above named Ōyamanezunomioto, the source of all life.