Gratitude is a capability God has given us. Does it mean that those who don't have gratitude are incompetent? Does it mean that if a person has even the slightest ability, he should live with gratitude? He realizes there is no right answer and thinks it might have something to do with God since it was in front of a church.
Then he thought, perhaps the refrain for this passage would be "Prayer is a grace." Ultimately, prayer begins with self-reflection and thanksgiving. He started the year with gratitude for the ability to pray.
There is an odd ritual he does every year at this time—'updating the will'. It's not just writing, it's updating. It's been years since he started doing this nonsense. At first, he erased last year's will and wrote a new one, but he started writing each year's will after the previous one, for no other reason except it's interesting looking back on the past.
Long ago, when he was living in Japan, an influential media company planned a book titled: The Epitaph On My Tomb Stone. It was asking the readers how did they want to be remembered after they die, and what kind of life did they want to live. It was literally a last will and testament. However, it is also a message of hope for those left behind with regrets as they look back on their own past lives. From this, he thought it would be meaningful to write a testament in this style.
This work is inevitably made up of memories and stories related to people or things that have been connected to the writer. However, unlike prayer, there is some room for completion because it can contain a commitment to complete tasks or wishes that were not completed the previous year. As a result, it is more of a New Year's message to oneself than the last testament.
What he can't ignore in making new resolutions is learning from people older than him. Habits and actions that we want to emulate, actions we don’t want to emulate, are all lessons in wisdom. His parents and siblings are more likely to resemble each other, so it is necessary to closely observe the words and actions of the elderly and imagine oneself in the future.
Repeating the same words over and over, blatant self-pride, gossiping about other people's children, worrying about the country, envying those who have a good life, and swearing at politicians is the routine in our daily lives as we enter the aging society. Is he an exception? Just as we have become accustomed to preventive vaccines thanks to the COVID-19 virus, there are vaccines we need to take as we age. The decision to follow the example of those I want to follow and avoid the words and deeds of those I don't want to follow should be part of my habitual way of life at this time of year, whether the process is prayer or writing a will.
