TagRelationships

Relying on the heart, I forge from pain a deep respect for all people.

Homing in on one fear, I unite my family.

Seeking my true self, I find brotherhood at last.

by Anne SaracenoPortland, Ore. “Sketchy,” remarked a college friend from the West Hills. She meant the shuttered windows, the empty streets and the cars parked up and down the block in their overgrown lawns. I saw all this, but something else, too.  Wanting a second pair of eyes, I asked my other friend, Sanae, to

Going the extra mile, I discover true friendship in a vow to leave no one behind.

Listening, I learn the way to rise above all suffering.

Battling for hope, I revive old joys and tap new strength.

Walking the path of a contributive life, I fling wide the doors to my mission.

Working with people, I learn to trust them and myself.

Ingraining Sensei’s “Clear Mirror” guidance, I see in my husband’s illness an opportunity for reflection.

by Bhavini Gupta Duvall, Wash. Born and raised in a large family in Delhi, I’d not taken so much as a meal alone until I moved to America, where suddenly, most all my meals were had alone. I spoke to my husband for the first time in April 2019 over the phone, and that winter,

Discovering a friend in a childhood rival, I grasp in the depths of my soul that people can change for the better.

From a state of confidence, endings appear as the means for fresh growth. I’m Sylvia Dare from Galloway, New Jersey.

Seeing myself through my mentor’s eyes, I open my life to the love I deserve.

Inspired by my best friend’s brilliant life, I battle alongside my mentor and summon the courage to open my heart.

Sharing Buddhism while traveling cross-country, I primed my heart for a significant encounter with my father.

How I came to walk the talk and appreciate my husband.

by Mitzi Gunter Orlando, Fla. Really, I knew nothing about America. I had seen the Hollywood movie Giant with James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor. But, for me, 18 in boring, postwar Nagasaki, Japan, that was enough. When I got word, in 1958, that I could chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for anything, I chanted for America. Within two

How Buddhism helped me take responsibility for the happiness of my family and me.

How I built a life with my husband, Robert, overflowing with good fortune. I’m Sumiko George, from Anniston, Alabama.