It Was Meant to Be
Yasuko, my wife who is Japanese, and I, an American, are always asked: “how did you two meet?” After 34 years we never tire of saying, “It was meant to be.”
It was 1972 and my company had just moved me back to Hong Kong after living and working 4 years in Bangkok, Thailand. A friend of mine from the Philippines was dating a girl from his country who was a trainee flight attendant for Cathay Pacific Airline based in Hong Kong. She introduced many of her classmates to us at a graduation dinner at my apartment. It was here that I first met Yasuko. We had only a casual date or two. Shortly thereafter Yasuko had to immediately resign from Cathay Pacific Airline and return to Japan. Her father had gotten ill and she had to help care for him and his Japanese art gallery business. For two years we had neither correspondence nor any contact.
In 1974, after 8 years living in South East Asia countries, I was unexpectedly transferred by my company to Japan. I remembered Yasuko’s father’s art gallery name and one Sunday I located it in Tokyo. Yasuko was there with her father and we re-met. It was not long before we found our lives were meant for each other. We were married in May 1975 at the Franciscan Chapel Center in Tokyo. IT WAS MEANT TO BE!
I am a cradle Catholic. Yasuko went to a school in Tokyo called “Caritas” taught by French Canadian nuns from Quebec. She became interested in Catholocism when she asked herself, “why are these nuns so happy and content?” After high school she continued CCD lessons and converted at the age of 18. Less than 1% of Japanese are Christian … no less Catholic. It was meant to be that we could share our faith together.
We lived in the USA for many years until Yasuko, our two girls and I returned to Japan in 1987 when I was again transferred there by my company. We immediately returned to “OUR TOKYO PARISH,” the Franciscan Chapel Center in Tokyo where we had been married. For the next 7 years, Yasuko sang in the choir and I was a Eucharistic Minister and active on the Parish Council.
If you ever have the joy to visit Japan and are in Tokyo on a Sunday, please attend Mass at our “Tokyo parish,” the Franciscan Chapel Center. They have a very informative website.
… Jim Harris
