NEW BOOK
A TRUTHY NON-FICTION STORY THAT CAPTURES A SERIES OF EPISODES FROM MY RECENT LIFE ... AND VENTURES FORTH TO CHALLENGE UNCOMFORTABLE AND PERVASIVE MISPERCEPTIONS THAT ARE COMMON TO THE MODERN WORLD.
KIZUKI
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE QUESTION THAT I PRESENTED TO MY 8-YEAR-OLD SON IN THE WAKE OF MY HUSBAND’S SUDDEN DEATH.
THANKFULLY AND AMAZINGLY, OUR ANSWER WAS YES—WE LOVE OUR LIFE AS IT IS, AND NO—WE WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING.
My book, titled Kizuki, is a non-fiction story that captures a series of episodes from my recent life. It is a real-life journey from the shock of my husband’s sudden death, the unconventional planning of his funeral, scrambling through the initial waves of agonizing Grief, and somehow having a deep sense of Gratitude through it all.
It weaves through my take on these four key concepts—Tsunami, Kizuki, Cocoon, and Selah.
Here’s how I define them:
TSUNAMI
/tsuːˈnaːmi/ Japanese: 津波
A tidal wave, also known as a seismic sea wave; a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake my life.
“There is no denying or manufacturing an honest feeling state.
It must be embraced, tended to, and dealt with wisely and accordingly.”
KIZUKI
/kiˈzuːki/ Japanese: 気づき
A moment of epiphany, an “aha” of realization or insight which opens the knower to a new dimension of truth that was formerly unknown.
Steps in an incremental growth of awareness, resulting in a movement from ignorance to greater awareness of the bigger picture. A kind of knowing that cannot be undone; that cannot be un-realized.
“Truth, I rediscovered … is my alignment with the innermost me. That is all it is.
And without that alignment, there is no Truth.”
COCOON
/kəˈkuːn/
The silky envelope spun by the larvae of many insects, such as silkmaeworms, serving as a covering while they are in the pupal stage.
A construction of viscous substance for the purpose of protecting the egg or larvae of an animal, especially insects, as it is in recess from all activities preceding complete metamorphosis.
“I’ve been lost before; but only in my own head. I was never, ever lost from the current of Life itself.”
SELAH
/ˈsiːlə,ˈsiːlaː/ Hebrew: סֶלָה,
A word used 74 times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in the book of Psalms. The meaning of the word is not known, though it is probably either a liturgic-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like “stop and listen.” It can also be interpreted as a form of underlining in preparation for what comes next.
Alternatively, selah may be interpreted as an instruction calling for a break in the singing of the Psalm, which seals its meaning as eternal or forever.
[mae’s version] A call to appropriately immerse oneself in the afterglow or “sizzle” of resonance created by words, music, or otherwise meaningful delivery of intent. To steep oneself in the fullness of a pervasive silence that follows the perfection of expressive resonance; as per Michael Jackson’s film THIS IS IT. In King MJ’s words, “You’ve gotta let it ‘simmer.’ It’s got a moment where it has to simmer—just ‘bathe in the moonlight.’”
MY STORY WILL INEVITABLY RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE AS A HUMAN RACE LOOK AT AND LIVE WITH THE REALITY OF CERTAIN DEATH, HOW TO ENJOY LIFE ALONGSIDE THE CERTAINTY OF DEATH, HOW TO COPE WITH PAIN IN LIFE, AND MAYBE EVEN, WHAT THE PURPOSE OF LIFE MAY BE.
WAVE photo by Michael Olsen
WATER RIPPLE photo by Linus Nylund
COCOON photo by Suzanne D Williams
WHAT IS YOUR KIZUKI STORY?
What are the tsunami experiences in your life that lead you to those kizukis? Share with us.
Everyone has a story. Are you owning yours yet? Whatever your answer is, wherever you are in this point in time, it’s okay. The unknowingness of “I don’t know” is welcomed here. Honesty is key. Honesty is power. Honesty is Integrity.
YOUR STORY
