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Dear Glen Morris United Church, 

Peace be with you. In the dreary damp and thawed ground of this January, I hope you are finding ways to kindle warmth in your homes and hearts. I miss the sun so dearly right now I might actually shout ‘Hallelujah’ outloud if a sunbeam were to cross my path! 

Last Saturday I had the chance to be with family and friends as we gathered for my grandmother’s visitation. Sue Kai, who we called Bachan (Grandma in Japanese), was 97 years old when she passed away in early December. As I’m sure many of you have experienced in the past few years, traditions even around funerals have shifted, which means for me it will be my first time participating in my first zoom funeral this Saturday. 

Although I will not be presiding over Bachan's funeral this Saturday, I have been asked to share a few words on behalf of my siblings about what she meant to us as a grandmother. While I won’t share the full reflection in this newsletter, I did want to honour her memory with a few thoughts: 

Bachan was always an honest storyteller, and my sisters and I greatly appreciated that she shared with us about her life with so much detail. We know that her willingness to talk about her experiences of racism and internment during WW2 are not common within the Japanese Canadian community and we have been so blessed by her fierce commitment to ensuring her experiences were not lost. 

Bachan showed us that in a world that can take so much from you - optimism can be a tool of resistance, that in a world where there is so much inequality, gratitude for what you have (no matter how little) can dismantle shame. She showed us that hope and gratitude are not shallow attitudes that come easy, but that even when powerful people try to take everything from you, you will always have the power over how you choose to live your life.

Thank you so much to all of you who have expressed your sympathies and condolences during this time - all of your care is so deeply appreciated. 

Wishing all of you the most blessed of weeks, filled with Christ’s promise and peace, 

 

Yours in Christ, 

Rev Michiko