Living on My Own August 24, 2026 (Monday) Reiwa8
Today was my rehabilitation day at Dogo Onsen Hospital.
I got off the bus at the JA Ehime bus stop and walked up the hill to the hospital by myself in the intense summer heat.
As I walked, I found myself thinking about what it really means to "live on my own."
The Eden no Sono facility where I live is, of course, not completely living alone.
There are many other residents, meals are provided, and there are staff members who can help us.
Even so, I have to take care of my own room.
When I need to go to the hospital, I have to prepare my things, take the bus, and walk there by myself.
This injury has made me think about this much more deeply.
When you get injured, someone else cannot simply take care of everything for you.
There are people who help.
There are people who provide rehabilitation.
But ultimately, I am the one who has to go to the hospital, receive rehabilitation, and gradually move my own body again.
So I think the most important thing about living on my own is taking care of my health.
The next important thing is money.
I paid a large amount of money to move into this facility.
But that was not the end of it.
There are management fees, food costs, electricity, water, and other expenses.
And when I get sick or injured, there are medical bills and medication costs as well.
An injury can happen suddenly.
And because I have several chronic health issues, I need regular medical appointments and medication.
Even though medical treatment is covered by insurance, I still have to set aside money every month for those expenses.
So I think it is very important to think carefully about how to manage my money.
And then there are human connections.
At the facility, I do not need to become deeply involved with everyone.
When I meet someone in the dining room, I can simply say, "Good morning."
When a staff member helps me, I can say, "Thank you."
When I need something, I can say, "Please."
Even these short greetings and expressions of gratitude are important to me as a human being.
I also want to remember not to hesitate to say,
"Please teach me."
"Please help me."
Living on my own does not mean refusing to depend on anyone.
It means thinking for myself while also making sure that I can ask other people for help when I need it.
I was thinking about these things while preparing my bag this morning.
On a hot day, I must remember to bring something to drink.
I bring a change of clothes in case I sweat a lot.
I bring money and my cards.
I also check the Eden bus timetable for the trip home.
And even when the sky is perfectly clear, I put a folding umbrella in my bag.
I probably will not need it 99.9% of the time.
But I am walking alone.
If it suddenly starts raining, I cannot always expect someone to come and help me.
So I carry the lightest umbrella I can find.
If the sky looks threatening, I sometimes bring a raincoat instead.
It makes my bag heavier.
But I think of it as one of the small preparations I make for living on my own.
If things become truly impossible, I can always call a taxi.
It will cost money, but that is also one possible solution.
When I return home, I eat.
I make sure to eat the meals provided at Eden.
I take a bath, too.
There is a bath in my own room, but using the large communal bath saves electricity and water.
And while I am there, I sometimes talk with a few other residents.
Then there is the laundry.
Since I am only washing clothes for myself, I once thought that I should wait two or three days and do the laundry all at once.
But somehow, I cannot do that.
A T-shirt, shorts, underwear, socks, towels—
the things I wore that day.
I simply do not like leaving them until the next day.
For decades, I washed not only my own clothes but also my children's and my husband's clothes.
So even now that I am living alone, I naturally wash the day's clothes and hang them up to dry on the same day.
From the point of view of electricity and water costs, this may not always be the most efficient way to do things.
But I think it is simply the way of living that I have developed over many years.
As I grow older and become more easily tired, I may need to change the way I do things.
Rather than thinking, "This is how I have always done it,"
I can ask myself,
"What is the easiest and most sustainable way for me to live now?"
And then there is sleep.
Even if I wake up during the night, these days I try not to study.
In the past, I might have thought,
"I'm awake anyway, so I might as well study."
But now I tell myself,
"Go back to sleep.
At night, I need to sleep and let my body rest.
It is more important to be healthy and energetic tomorrow."
I have come to think that way.
Health, money, meals, laundry, bathing, sleep, and human connections.
Living on my own means thinking about these small things one by one and managing my daily life myself.
Before rehabilitation today, I told the doctor that I can no longer do the Gomukhasana arm position that I used to be able to do so easily.
Now I cannot do it because of my left shoulder.
Things that I can do today may not necessarily be possible tomorrow.
I learned that through my own body after getting injured.
In the past, I may have looked at someone who could not clasp their hands behind their back and thought,
"How stiff."
But now I see things differently.
Anyone can lose an ability after an injury.
And as we grow older, there are things that we may no longer be able to do.
So I want to remember not to take the things I can do for granted.
And when I can no longer do something, I can ask someone to teach me how to work toward doing it again.
Living on my own.
But that does not mean doing absolutely everything by myself.
It means taking care of my health.
Managing my money.
Keeping my daily life in order.
Preparing for small risks.
Greeting people.
Being willing to say, "Please help me" when necessary.
And going to sleep when my body is tired.
I do not have to live the same way as other people.
I can live on my own in my own way.
And I think that is perfectly fine.
#LivingOnMyOwn
#CreatingMyOwnLife
#HealthManagement
#LifeAfterRetirement
#LivingIndependently
#WisdomOfDailyLife
#Rehabilitation
#RecoveryFromInjury
#SmallPreparations
#Sleep
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