Kenji

I sent this message to my district earlier this year. I love this story, and thought I would paste it here. Thought you all would enjoy this too. Enjoy.

I have some neighbors who I absolutely adore. Kenji and Terri, a couple in their 80’s who have raised their kids here in the neighborhood. They have been living here in the same neighborhood since they were kids, except for the years that Kenji and Terri’s families spent in the internment camp during World War II. Kenji’s dad use to grow grapes right here in the neighborhood before it was developed.

Over the last year Kenji has been struggling with Kidney problems. There was a stretch of months where I didn’t see Kenji out much. He was pretty much laid up in bed.

I was out working in my yard this weekend, and my tiny, sick 85 year old friend Kenji rode by on his bike. His bike is half his height. He hollered “Hi Sean!” as he took one hand off his handle bar to wave.

He looked like a kid in the candy store. He was having a blast. I must admit when I looked up and saw him I immediately panicked. He’s always been very fit, but he still moves a little slowly these days. I thought about what would happen if he ran into the car coming toward him that he wasn’t paying attention too. Fortunately after he stopped waving he saw it, yelled “whoa” and steered his bike back over to his side of the road. I just about passed out. He then continued to ride around the neighborhood grinning ear to ear for a good 30 minutes.

The following day Kenji’s wife Terri asked my wife Suzi if she saw Kenji out riding his bike. Terri asked the question with a tone that indicated that Kenji was going to get in trouble. My wife said yes, but included that he looked like he was having “fun” hoping that would spared him somehow from Terri’s not so terrible wrath. Terri really is an absolute angel, and she was just worried about her Kenji.

Terri then told Suzi that he wasn’t supposed to be riding his bike. She reminded Suzi that he’s having Kidney problem’s, he’s lost 20 pounds on his thin 5’5” frame, is extremely low on energy, and if he took a spill it could do some serious damage.

Terri had noticed Kenji’s bike wasn’t where it was suppose to be when she had got home from a baby shower. Apparently he had decided he was going to sneak in a bike ride while his wife was away.

I love everything about that story, and there about a thousand reasons to share it with you. I share it with you for a couple reasons.

The first reason was to remind us all to enjoy the simple things in life. Life is made up of millions and millions of simple moments highlighted by a few high moments, and some low moments. Work is like any other part of life, full of simple moments. Enjoy them, make the most of them, find joy in what you do; making life better for others and do it passionately like Kenji. If you make the most of your simple moments at work I believe you will find many great high moments hidden among the simple moments. You will be an instrument in creating them.

The second reason was to remind us of how blessed we really are. We enjoy good health, we enjoy good jobs, we enjoy a great company, and great co-workers. Capitalize on your good fortune. Make more good fortune by working hard, and by working smart.

Kenji has had a many hardships growing up here, and is facing many in front of him but lives life knowing he is blessed.