掛け軸はヒョンなことで、J.Iちゃんから譲り受けた。聞けば、代々、書画骨董の収集を楽しんでいた彼のお父さんの家系の形見（？）らしいのだけど、ま、アタシが永代キープしましょ、と。今現在まだ地下室住まいなので天井は低く、それゆえ上部はかなり折り曲げて吊るさねばならなかった。かなりの長さの掛け軸をスッと吊すには相当な高さの天井は必須、しかもゆったりと掲げられる広い神聖な部屋（空間）が条件と思えば、日本神道の最高神、伊勢神宮に祀られ、太陽や光、慈愛や真実の象徴でもある『アマテラス』をこんなふうに勝手に掛けて良いものか？キッチンに繋がる小空間が、今や、波動が変わってしまったの感。いやはや、ありがたいです。
I inherited the scroll from J.I-chan by chance. Apparently it was a keepsake from his father’s family, who had been collecting calligraphy, paintings, and antiques for generations, but I thought I’d keep it forever. As I am currently(still) living in the basement, the ceiling is low, so the upper part had to be bent quite a bit to hang it. A fairly high ceiling is essential to hang a scroll of considerable length, and a large, sacred room/space where it can be hung comfortably is also a requirement. Is it really okay to just hang Amaterasu, the supreme deity of Japanese Shinto,(<- click) enshrined at Ise Grand Shrine and a symbol of the sun, light, love and truth, in this way?
The small space connected to the kitchen now feels like it has a different vibe. I’m really grateful.
7月の中旬にかけて、Y子さんのご家族が、日本から彼女の病院へ面会に来られた。ここニューヨークの暑さと湿度にはさぞかし驚いたのでは？と危惧したけれど、 ご家族いわく日本は（関東）とんでもなく暑さが続行中とのこと。皆、こうしてY子さん所縁の友人達も集まり、面会の後のディナーとお喋り、とっても有意義でした。
In mid-July, Y.H-san’ family came to visit her in the hospital from Japan. I was worried that A.H-san would be surprised by the heat and humidity here in New York, but her family said that Japan (Kanto region) is still experiencing extremely hot weather. Everyone, including Y’s friends, gathered together and had dinner and chatted after the visit, which was very meaningful.
