A friend recommended it when he was here for a visit.
It's a great series. Awesome.
I don't remember crying so much for a series.
Perhaps, knowing the fact that it is a true story stirred my emotions more than any other fiction dramas I've watched throughout these years.
This drama is about a girl who was diagnosed with a disease called Spinocerebellar Degeneration when she was 15 years old and was able to continue her life till her death at 25 years old. The plot is based on a true story of a Japanese girl named Kitou Aya. She kept writing in her diary to remember her experiences until she could no longer hold a pen. Aya simply wished to live until the end of her life and the purpose of the diary was to remind herself not to give up. She shed tears many times, at the same time, encompassed by the rich love and support from her family, friends and boyfriend. Her diary, "A litre of tears" was published after her death, because of her inspiring message of "Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderful thing". So far, 18,000,000 copies of her diary have been sold.
Her story really moved me. I must give credits to the actress, Sawajiri Erika, who played the role of Aya. The message the drama was trying to send was well-received. While watching it on youtube, I read the comments posted by various people who have watched it too. Everyone was moved and many have shed tears over Aya's words and thoughts.
I was told that the real Kito Aya did not have a relationship when she was alive. Her mother wanted it to be put into the plot because her daughter didn't get to enjoy the wonderful process of courtship, hence she wanted to give her the chance to experience it by imagining how it would have been if Aya had a boyfriend when she was alive.
I followed the story closely. From how she reacted when she knew she was struck with the disease, until her acceptance and finally, the things she did until her death. She was so optimistic, so cheerful and motivating. She felt sad for not being able to attend university and go to work, like the rest of her friends. She was even forced out of her high school due to her disability which affected her class progress.
She needed help while walking because her legs were weak. She couldn't write fast because her hands did not have enough strength to grip a pen. She needed a wheelchair to get around. Slowly, she even lost the ability to talk. However, the disease did not affect her mental progression. She could still think like the rest of us. Her IQ was no way impaired by the disease. This was why she could still produce beautiful verses and thoughts to motivate herself and subsequently, the people around her.
Due to the enormous help extended to her during her sick period, her greatest wish was to repay society's kindness by being a useful person. She has finally achieved it when her diary was published after her death. Now, almost 20 years after she has passed on, people are still reading her diary and talking about her. She has indeed motivated everyone who has heard of her story.
"How wonderful it is to be alive.." We take for granted our ability to walk, to talk, to eat, to laugh, to be in love.. Too often, we are involved in feeling sad for ourselves. I cried while watching the movie because it reminded me of my shortcomings. Why do I dwell myself into misery when there are other people out there suffering even worse fate than myself? Being alive is already a wonderful gift. We should cherish this gift and take good care of our body, nurture our souls so that our existence would benefit others.
Emily DicksonThat is the true purpose of our existence, isn't it? To love, to spread love..
If I can stop one heart from breaking
Then I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one life the aching
Or cool one pain
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again
I shall not live in vain.
I dare not say I have fully grasp the concept.
Everyday, I learn something new..
The books I read, the movies I watch, the songs I hear..
All play a part into nurturing my soul
Inspiring quotes, inspiring people..
How they remind me to be kind..
To be kind to people, even when they are not so kind to me
Sometimes I forget that..
Sometimes, I allow myself to be selfish and think for myself only..
I don't know why..
I don't want the reason to be "I am just a human..I am not perfect.."
I am not trying to be perfect.
After all, everyone holds different definition for 'perfect'.
I am still trying to construct my own definition and live by it
MinDef told us to keep a diary, a journal about the goals we want to achieve and how we go about achieving them. How do I tell them that I just want to do a good deed a day?
To lend a helping hand, to offer my shoulder to a crying friend..
How should I tell them that my existence is not to get a university degree, not to get a glamorous job with high earnings, not to be a leader..
I just want to be useful..
I just want to nurture my soul, to live an enriched life not defined by materialistic gains..
To not succumb myself to the evils of modern society..
It sounds so silly, too fairytale-like..
They would think I'm living in a world of my own
Those aren't the words they want to hear..
These are not expected of a scholar..
But how should I tell them?
I feel that I am not good enough for the scholarship.
I am not set on to pursue a life of materialistic gains
But I feel so fake saying that because I do love wearing nice clothes, to live in a nice house, to drive a nice car, to buy the latest electronic gadgets
I still love the materialistic bits of life
My thoughts contradict and frankly, I am at a loss too
I wish there was someone who understands and could tell me if I'm just being plain silly
I feel that there is still so much to learn..
But I also tell myself that getting the scholarship is not all about being glamorous and prestigious.. I certainly hope the title of a 'scholar' is not just about that..
I can still help people no matter what job I hold
It's all about the mindset, right?
As long as I stay true to myself.. as long as I remember my purpose
It does not matter where I am or what I do..
As long as I stay true to myself
To remember the goal I set for my life
There is really a lot more to learn..
Life, as they say, is a long journey
It's not about getting to a destination
Because we know, the destination is death
It's about what we do along the way
Have we made a person smile today?
Have we casted a kind thought?
A kind word?
It's not easy living in this age of competitiveness..
It's stressful, only if we want it to be
It's all about the mindset
If we can change it, we can change everything
I dare not say I fully understand what I'm trying to explain
My thoughts are not organised
Yet I want to write them down before I forget..
This is all for today. Too much tears shed, too much thoughts to be written down..
I just hope I remember the purpose I set out for myself..
This post is dedicated to Kitou Aya, who has indeed touched my life and reminded me how wonderful it is to be alive.. Rest in Peace
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