On my birthday, I think how lucky I am to have been born into this world where my family, my friends, and my students are.

My resolution for the year ahead is to enjoy every moment. I am currently doing several kinds of jobs and studying a couple of languages. I also want to practice ballet and do household chores nicely. I have many things to do. From now on, I will free myself from the obsession with deadlines and concentrate on what I am doing at that moment.

This year, I met a person who had been born on the same day and in the same prefecture as me. We have the same blood type, too. (You know, Japanese people like blood type fortune telling.) Both of us were surprised! At first, I did not find any similarities between us; but I gradually realized we had a lot in common. I felt as if I had finally found my counterpart.

So, I will say, “Happy Birthday to both of us!” Let’s live a long, happy, and healthy life.