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Something Beyond Borders

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Happy Thanksgiving Day!!
I have stayed with my host family for 4 days and had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. This was the first time for me to have Thanksgiving Day so I was very excited to have the American traditional big holiday.

First, I was very impressed with their open-mind which can accept us or non-relative people to invite to such a traditional American day because I have never heard about Japanese invite people who are not relatives to New Year’s Day. While having Thanksgiving Day, I thought it was very similar to our New Year’s Day, in particular, at a point of showing our respect for many blessings we have received by enjoying foods, and that each food has a meaning. In addition, we gather with our relatives and families on that day so the Thanksgiving Day reminds me of my Japanese life.

I have been working on a presentation of Shintoism and I tried to compare with Christianity because our character or customs which come from religions are very different and also holidays are different. However, I feel that there is somehow something more same in spite of our different race or countries. When I was talking with Becki about our way of thinking about life, we could share our own answer or which, I have founded through my experience I have spent in Japan. She has studied about her religion very much, but I hadn’t studied about it and I hadn’t read the Bible. Even though at first look, they seem religions or beliefs which we have learned so far in their own country are very different, we can share our same opinions or there are holidays which have the same meaning in the world.

Through this Thanksgiving Day, I could reconsider about cultural differences. We seem to have very different way of thinking about our life and worth. However, I can find a global view by focusing on something more same beyond borders. I’m sure I will have wonderful opportunities to meet people in the world in the future and I would like to have a global perspective from sharing from the bottom of our hearts.

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