Makoto Takahashi - Leader in Death Education in Japan's ADEC

On Saturday morning I had the distinct honour of welcoming Makoto Takahashi and his family to our home! Makoto (Mac) is a leader in death education in Japan. He is very active in the Association of Death Education and Counselling (ADEC) in Japan.

Before he retired Mac taught at a very old prestigious private school that has educated many leaders. Mac taught students between 15 and 18 years old. He taught at least 800 students a year! Classes were one hour long, twice a week, and went for ten weeks. Approximately 20 hours of study. Students often came back to him in the years following the course when they experienced a death in their lives. Apparently there were 10-15 deaths of parents each year in this very large school. For those who would like more information on the curriculum, please feel free to email me and I can connect you with Mac.

As I listened to Mac talk, I thought that perhaps the owl who visited us the night before was simply a foreshadowing of the wisdom that Mac would bring the next morning!

Thanks Mac!

The Japanese - symbol of strength and resilience

As we look to Japan many of us wonder how we can help. I wonder if we might better ask what we can learn from this dignified and resilient people?

Stephen Lewis in his keynote address at the Association of Death Education and Counseling conference in Montreal a few years ago, spoke of the grief in war torn countries. He encouraged the bereavement counsellors in the audience to continue in the important work that they do internationally, or to start providing help internationally. He talked of the value of their work.

As I listened to him, I reflected on my dear colleague Andrea Warnick who went Indonesia following the massive earthquake, worked in an orphanage with grieving children, returned home and using their art made calendars to raise money for that orphanage. Though she had worried about being “an extra mouth” I think she made a valuable contribution.

I think about Stephen Lewis encouraging people to volunteer, I think of Andrea and her contribution… but I still reflect on the fact that every person who goes to Japan to “help” is also one more mouth to feed.

I read the papers and listen to the news, and hear of the remarkable resilience of the Japanese people.

And I wonder if we need to worry less about what they can learn from us, and more about what we need to learn from them!

According to John Bradfield "In Japanese culture the Bamboo plant symbolizes strength and resilience and luck and success because of its ability to grow quickly"

I think I will plant bamboo this spring.

Kath


Photo: Arun Kumar Sinhar on Flickr
Photo and quote about the bamboo retrieved March 22,2011 from
http://johnlbradfield.com/environment/japanese-tsunami-and-the-amazing-resilience-of-japanese-people/