Internet friendships

When Iain started living in Japan he faced lots of problems with my two daughters who naturally didn’t welcome him at first and then there were all sorts of culture shocks. Hot sticky weather was annoying him in summer with unpleasant insects and creatures. Our house doesn’t have a central heating system so he complained how cold it was in winter too. He also greatly missed English diet, especially pies and cheeses that were seldom found here. Above all, the language barrier really frustrated him. He was in dire need of talking to people in English with similar background however in this rural part of Chiba-ken it was difficult to find such friends easily.

One way he used to keep himself sane is to register himself in those sites which offer opportunities for people looking for international friendships. I knew he was communicating with quite a few people however until recently I hadn’t known that he was writing to some of them almost every day. Well he was a letter writer all his life so it wasn’t a total surprise. In one site, somebody who learned of Iain’s death left a very kind message on his page so I’ll copy it here – I hope she will not mind me publishing this. I corrected some dates and hid the name of the site and his pen name.

OPEN LETTER TO VISITORS OF THIS PAGE:

I am shocked and deeply saddened to report that Iain, or '***' as he is known here on *** , passed away on July 14 of heart failure. He was hospitalized five days after feeling under the weather, and while there took a turn for the worse.

I was blessed to have known Iain and befriended him on ***, developing a fun and inspiring acquaintance with this cheerful, outgoing, learned and very wise man. In hearing of his death I became all too conscious of the sanctity and fleetingness of life -- apparently Iain had simply gone to the restroom, come back, complained of breathlessness, and died within an hour afterward. One minute he was here and the next - gone. Just like that. Despite my shock and genuine sadness at the loss of such a cool guy, my heart was lifted in knowing that Iain is reported to have died peacefully. It's a comfort.

Let's take a moment out of our busy, crazy lives and reflect on the things that matter. Iain had celebrated his 64th birthday mere days before his death; he turned 64 on July 5 and died on July 14 -- but anyone who knew him or corresponded with him, or even visited his blogs and sites of personal activities in which he took part, knew that he led a very full, active, interesting life! :^D Iain had his hand in everything :) So he is truly a powerful example that it's not how many years in your life, but the quality of life in your years ... Iain did tons of living in six decades, and I'm sure the peacefulness with which he passed away was due to an inner knowledge that he accomplished much and truly, genuinely LIVED. He was an inspiration to me while alive, and even more so now that he's gone. I miss him.

Thanks for everything, Iain . . . thanks for being you. Blessings and light on the next phase of your spiritual journey! :)

from a friend

posted by Edera