My life’s journey spent with children at childcare and foster homes in Japan gives me many missions and loves. I enjoy providing classes of my oil massage treatments, many parties and hiking trips, and I especially enjoy watching the growth of the children.

Children are just so beautiful, sweet and loyal. The joyful moments I receive through working with children gives me profound experiences because every child is so pure and shines as an individual.

At the same time, I learned that children who live at childcare homes have to face discrimination and other difficult situations because they do not have parents and were subjected to mental trauma from a young age. I saw that they can be very strong to keep smiling under those situations and to keep growing. On the other hand, they sometimes show their weakness too.

The most important thing that I learned is that if we, all adults, get together, we can protect these children and give them something better in life.

Let’s Volunteer to Help Childcare Homes in the US!

During my travels to the United States, I often saw many different races of children playing together nicely and having fun. It makes me think “what a perfect situation in the US!” It is like the whole world becomes one and that is exactly what I have been dreaming of. “I really want to do whatever I can for children without parents and a home.”

The beautiful experiences I have from volunteering in Japan with homes caring for orphan children, the friendships that I have built with their teachers, and the mission that grew in me through these many activities made me stop and realize that I could do something to help US children too.

I thought childcare at homes taking care of orphan children in the United States must face different challenges compared to Japan perhaps caused by the mingled races living together. I see this as a beautiful world of children from different backgrounds living together in harmony. It means so much to me to see the world coming together through these innocent children.

As I thought about what I could do for these children, I realized that my techniques and massage skills that I made very successful in my business would be able to help these children. There are many techniques that can give children (and adults) a feeling of comfort and wellbeing. I often work with adults to help bring peace and calm that helps them deal with situations they might face during the day. These same techniques could be used to help these children who face many difficult challenges in their lives.

More than that, I just so love children and I believe that children are the most important part of our society. We adults have to protect and lead them in a proper way. Hard Road to Find a Childcare Home in US I had this wonderful idea and plan to help these children. However, I was visiting the US for a short period of time. It was not easy to find a home or agency helping orphan children and make a connection in the US even though I asked so many of my friends and clients. Encounter with Fudemoji Artist, Naomi, a woman who gave me a beautiful message

I was invited to attend a Japanese Gourmet Food Fair in Torrance, California in June 2014. It was a busy Saturday with plans to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art later in the day. While I was at the Japanese Gourmet Food Fair, one of my good friends who lives in the US introduced me to a woman named Naomi who creates Fudemoji artwork. Her Fudemoji artwork is a new freestyle form of calligraphy method mixed with traditional Japanese calligraphy and art. It is used to express emotions such as releasing mental trauma or showing your happiness.

Naomi had a table for creating her Fudemoji artwork at the Fair. Before creating artwork for someone, she would have a short conversation with the person. This would help her think of the best message for the person and the artwork that would convey that message. When I sat down with her at her worktable, she said “please talk to me and tell me what you are seeking as a dream, and tell me what is important in your life.”

When I think back to this moment, I remember my exact thought was “if there is a will, there is a way.” I told her that I had been looking for a childcare center in the US to help children and that I wanted to do volunteer work as I have been doing in Japan. I told her about my passion toward helping poor and less privileged children. My passion is to work with a childcare center in US and to do volunteer work there.

Naomi was touched by my feelings and understood my thoughts and goals. Then she gifted me a beautiful message with Fudemoji, which I framed and now have on display in my office in Tokyo. At the same time she told me about her best friend “Patricia” who is working at Olive Crest, which is a non-profit organization (NPO) in Los Angeles.

Naomi said that she would introduce me to Patricia, known as Pati to her friends. I was very excited and I wanted to learn more about her efforts to help children.

The Destiny Encounter with Pati

Naomi called Pati late that evening and Pati agreed to speak with me. I was so happy to have the chance to learn more about Olive Crest. I set up a morning meeting with Pati. I was very excited to meet her but I did not have transportation to travel the 20 miles to her office. It was the first time that I ever took a taxi by myself in Los Angeles because I did not want to miss this opportunity.

After the taxi ride, I walked through the door of Olive Crest and called Pati on her phone. She soon came down the hall and welcomed me with a big smile on her face. Even though it was the first time that we met, we got along together so well from the moment we met and talked a lot about children, especially about the situation of children-care-homes in Japan, and the mission and work of Pati at Olive Crest.

“How beautiful, sophisticated and gorgeous woman she is!” I couldn’t hold back my feelings toward her. At that moment, I fell in love with her and I quickly became a huge fan. “Wow, how I am so lucky to get to know such a wonderful person like her!”

Not only did I finally find Olive Crest as one of the most successful childcare homes in US, but at the same time I found Pati as “the best and the perfect volunteer partner for me.” In addition, I now have the wonderful opportunity to do volunteer work at Olive Crest which is an organization that cares for abused, neglected and at-risk children in Los Angeles (See description of Olive Crest below).

Children-Care-Home Agency in US “It is very pleasant, calming and free.” This is my honest impression of Olive Crest as I walked through the halls. During my visit, I met many sophisticated women working at the home and the bosses were very intelligent and wearing stylish suits. Everyone at Olive Crest is proud of themselves, taking good care of their own families, and each one of them was shining. I am sure that their confidence must come from the thousands of successful results they have been achieving for so many children, such as a providing safe homes for adopted and abused children, recovery support for drug abused children, mental support and counseling for traumatic children youth, and education for both youth and parents. They put in so much effort for many children, youth and their parents throughout Los Angeles County.

The mission of Olive Crest is finding and providing safe place for children, and protecting their happiness and rights. Olive Crest also does after-care for adopted children. Pati spends most of time with her own family during weekend and vacations. She often hosts parties to raise support and awareness for the children.

Inner Beauty Shines Outer Beauty

I always believe that inner beauty shines outer beauty. When I say “thank you” to somebody, I try to have a pleasant smile to make others feel good. Actually, at this moment when you care for others, your inner beauty shines to your outer beauty.

My mission at Olive Crest is to introduce Japanese beautiful cultures and to teach Japanese. At the same time, I would like share my own massage methods to help the children have a beautiful life to shine their inner and outer beauty. I would like to offer many interesting classes to children and youth and to learn from Pati and other experts at Olive Crest.

Beautiful People

There are so many beautiful people and wonderful teachers working at Olive Crest. They are all well-educated, intelligent, smart and pure. If more people in the world would think about children and support them, this world would be more peaceful and a better place to live. This is because children are going to make the next generation and future when they become adults.

I believe that protecting children and ensuring them a safe life and peaceful mind is important to our future to ensure that we all have safe lives and peaceful minds.

 

More Support for Better People and Places

Our mission and work is just getting started.

I believe that this volunteer work will become my life work and make “a beautiful road” for my own children in the near future too. I really want to spread this message and have many others volunteer through this website and promote this message to other media to help even more people get interested in our activities.

The Time I Care for Them is the Proudest Moment for Me.

I wake up at 4:30 am every morning and follow my daily routine with my dogs, my “daughters.” I cook, do the laundry, clean, take them out, bathe them, brush their teeth, brush and massage their bodies and take them out for a walk, all before I go to my work.

I try to give them many joyful moments because I want them to have beautiful memories and I want them to know that they are loved so much. I take them with me to as many places as possible including my vacations because I want to share these experiences with them.

Spending this special time with them as their “mother” teaches me strength, courage, kindness and patience, and makes my spirit glow.

I have had many accomplishments in my life and I believe that it is because of my “daughters.” I work hard at my job and I always try to expand the range of my skills and hobbies, including my volunteer work. I want to help people shine through my work and I want to continually improve myself in all areas of my life. I feel that I have learned so much from taking care of my “daughters” and I believe that their love reflects on the rest of my life.

Nurturing is a chance to grow myself.

I have also worked on improving my skill at caring for plants to a professional level. My plants, from herbs, roses and strawberries, are also my “babies” as my family members for whom I give great care.

Roses are one of my favorite flowers because of their gentle beauty and amazing colors. There are many varieties of beautiful roses with very creative names. One day I thought “I want to grow roses that have the same names as my daughters.” I started growing certain varieties that have the same botanical names as my “daughters.” I gave them a lot of care and they are growing very well. I started acquiring many more varieties and now have many beautiful different roses growing in my garden.

My nurturing experience started from the medical issues experienced by my “daughters” such as their sicknesses, surgeries and allergy symptoms. One day I thought “I want to improve their health in a more natural way.” I changed their diets to more organic, natural and healthy foods and became more dedicated to them as “their mother.”

I have been keeping a diary to track my journey as a young mother with three daughters and it now fills many pages. Now, ten years has passed and my “daughters” are living very healthy and vibrant lives.

More recently, I have been improving my skills in art and drawing, skin massages for babies, and natural therapies. I feel that these are now my most important skills. The inspiration to take up these skills all came from my “daughters.” They have inspired me to take up so many skills and hobbies.  

Nurturing is the most important element to making the spirit in my life glow.

Nurturing can help you start to feel positive thoughts and energy throughout your life. I found that caring for children can cause 180 degree changes in your life as something to make you shine.

I believe that nurturing someone who you love the most is the ultimate magical way of “improving yourself” even though you are already adult enough to change yourself. I Always Try to Take Care of my Beauty Even Though I Am Always so Busy.

Taking care of your own health and appearance are components to a lifestyle that make it possible to maintain ultimate calmness, kindness and beautiful mind.

No matter how busy you are, you can still find some “free time” to take care of yourself. I try to use those free moments as my “beauty time.” I do five minutes of massage every morning and night, or I sometimes do yoga.

I spend time a lot of time doing good things for people around me so I believe that I deserve to have these precious moments to take care of myself and to give myself comfort.

The time that I take during the day that is only for me actually gives me the feeling of ultimate relaxation, mind calmness and persistency. It does not matter if you are woman or man.

The “beauty time” you consciously have brings the ultimate beauty and health to yourself and has many positive benefits. If you are fit and healthy, you can take quick action and your outer beauty always attracts people. It will be reflected in the efficiency of your work and help you proceed another step towards your interest.

I believe that “if you take good care of yourself, you can take good care of children which brings a lot of happiness.”

Nurturing is the Secret Treasure of Creating.

There are so many special things that we can learn from nurturing other people. For example, we must learn patience when we cannot handle somebody who does not listen us, but who we must care for and protect. We must always be thinking to protect your children.

A true meaning of happiness is the unlimited love and pure feeling toward children. These feelings will grow in you as you watch the growth of a child who you help grow. At the same time, you can get rid of your ego and other undesirable emotions such as impatience, frustration and rage. The accomplishment that you feel as you are raising children can fill you with a strong sense of pride. The many emotions and miracles through raising children is a secret treasure that only you will know.

It is so fulfilling and important to help a young child grow. I love to help raising children because it contributes so much to making my own life shine.

 

Information regarding Olive Crest.

Since 1973, Olive Crest has transformed the lives of over 60,000 abused, neglected, and at-risk children and their families. They work tirelessly to meet the individual needs of kids in crisis by providing safe homes, counseling, and education for both youth and parents.

Their many innovative programs reflect their conviction that strengthening the family is one of the most powerful ways to help heal children. With unwavering compassion, the Olive Crest family maintains a lifelong commitment to the youth and families they serve even after the children have graduated from their programs.

Olive Crest serves nearly 2,000 children and families each day throughout California, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest. For information call 1-800-550-CHILD (2445) or visit www.olivecrest.org.