OUR SON'S ASTHMA IMPROVED
By Hitomi Unoki (age 28) from the Kagoshima Church in Japan
In February last year (2001), I noticed that my 2-year-old son had asthma. He was running around healthy but suddenly started to have coughing spells. I put my hand on his chest, and I could hear wheezing sounds.
Then in May, he coughed more frequently even when he wasn't active and started to have breathing difficulties. It was diagnosed as "infantile asthma" and we had to take him to the hospital to receive inhalation therapy when he started to have asthma attacks, sometimes more than once a day.
I wanted to request a Mioshie and follow it because I had previously heard that "the Mishirases of children are really their parents' Mishirases." But I was concerned that I couldn't receive a Mioshie because my husband wasn't a member.
My husband agreed with my PL faith and I talked to him about the PL teachings. But I didn't have the courage to ask him to join PL. Because I am not a good example of the PL teachings, I thought he wouldn't join PL.
At that time, sometimes I was unable to control my emotions and complained to my husband about being tired out from housework and taking care of our son. That's why I didn't have the confidence as a wife and a mother. Besides my husband's work was busy, and he always came home very late. My husband was on an overseas business trip for one month when our son started to have his asthma attack last spring, so I had complaints about being left all alone with my son.
I went to the church and received a consultation from our minister, he told me, "Please pray sincerely in front of the Omitama and then ask your husband to join PL." So I followed his advice right-a-way and asked my husband if he could join PL. He was happy to join.
He said he had always thought, "To join a religion is for life and I can't make that decision lightly," but he decided to join for our son's sake.
Shortly after this, we could request a Mioshie together and it was given to both of us. I was startled because one line of the Mioshie read, "I shall not strain myself by thinking this and that, which I can not do now, or I won't do now." This is because I was thinking, "It would be nice if child-rearing gets easier" or "I would like to be free from child-rearing and go to work." I had been just complaining and neglecting my child-rearing for "now." I had the feeling that if I didn't go to work I was not contributing to society.
I think the Mioshie taught me the way I was and I was able to start thinking that child-rearing is a wonderful thing that I can only do now.
From that day on, my husband and I tried to discuss everything and I tried not to have complaints. My husband started to talk to me about what he thinks and I can switch my mind when I have complaints about him.
My son was taking medication to prevent the asthma attacks but he recovered so that he hardly needs any medication. I was very surprised that changing our state of mind can have this much influence on him to recover and we learned a lot.
I truly felt children are given to us from God to take care of and they reflect our state of mind as a mirror. I also appreciate that our son brought my husband into PL. I would like to live without forgetting to rely on God in daily life as a wife and a mother, and together with my husband, I would like to do my best.
(Translated from the March 11, 2002, issue of Geisei-shimbun, p.5)
