Heidi-ng in plain sight

 The first time I heard of a city called Frankfurt was in my childhood in the animated series Heidi. Heidi's friend Clara lived in Frankfurt. At that time, I didn't even know which country Frankfurt was in. I just had fun watching Heidi's adventures. My sister and I would even sing the Japanese title song loudly even though we didn't understand the words. Many years later, I re-watched Heidi, in the form of a German movie. This time, I was in Frankfurt myself. It was as if life had come a full circle. Coincidentally, Clara is paralyzed, she cannot walk, and has to sit in a wheelchair all day.



What we can learn from Heidi is her ability to find joy in the most adverse conditions. She is an orphan, her aunt can't care for her anymore, and she is left in the care of her grumpy grandfather. Yet she finds happiness running up and down the Swiss mountain with her friend Peter, spending time with Josef, the lazy St. Bernard, chasing goats all day, eating cheese and sleeping on a bed of hay. One can also learn from her the compassion with which she treats Clara. 

As I write this, the cherry blossom trees in Frankfurt must be in full bloom. It was such a great source of happiness for me to watch the pretty pink flowers. Back home there are no cherry blossoms. But summer is in full swing, this means I have the pleasure of looking at mango trees laden with mangoes from my window. I can hear the cuckoo singing its song and watch a flock of Alexander green parrots fly by. The squirrel pays me a visit everyday although she is just trying to gnaw at my house plants. Sometimes I can even see the full moon from my living room. These are some of the joyful moments in my life. 

The truth about ALS is although life feels heavy with sorrow, joyous moments are hiding in plain sight. We just need to recognize them. By the way, the story of Heidi ends on a positive note. Clara recovers from paralysis and is able to walk again. I wonder if such miracles can only happen in story books  or will they ever become a reality for people like me. 

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