A Workshop Woven with Kindness: Jerrod’s Words and Family Warmth Unforgettable
The night before welcoming the Jerrod family of four, Naoko and I had a full dress rehearsal of the tea ceremony workshop. From the morning, I had thoroughly cleaned the garden, tea room, living room, tea grinding room, corridor, and toilet. We were fully prepared to welcome the Jerrods. However, perhaps because it had been two weeks since the last workshop, I was a little nervous.
I led the family of four, a couple with two sons, into the tea grinding room and began explaining the millstone, but I became flustered, my head went into a panic, and I couldn’t understand what I was saying. When I confessed, “I’m a little nervous,” Jerrod, the father, smiled and said, “We are all friends!” The other family members laughed too. How much his words relieved my tension!
This family is from Oregon. I once took my students to Oregon on a homestay program. There are big cities like Portland, but I stayed in a rural area where it took at least 10 minutes to walk to the neighboring house. Our host family had a vast backyard with dozens of sheep grazing freely. I vividly recall my host mother asking me, “Aki, would you mind mowing the lawn in the backyard?” I readily agreed, but little did I know it would take me hours to complete the task with the lawnmower. It was tough, but it was a valuable first experience.
When asked what the ingredients of the fresh sweets were, he promptly replied, “Beans, duh!
Rolling the fresh sweet back and forth on the tatami mat, he received the new fresh sweet from Naoko.
With a series of gentle nods, she intently listened to every word of my story of the tea ceremony.
With a loving gaze, he watches over his family, a pillar of strength and support. A dependable and reliable father, he is truly admired.
With the hope of introducing Japanese culture through the tea ceremony, I embarked on this workshop. Initially, I found myself struggling to speak due to nervousness, but the Jerrod family’s warm embrace soothed my heart. My heartfelt gratitude to them. Thank you very much.
With the rain now behind us, may the remainder of your Japanese adventure be filled with cherished and extraordinary memories.
