As the recent report of Tomihiro Hoshino’s death lingered in my mind, I revisited his poetry, especially poignant when read on Mother’s Day.

“If God would grant me the use of my arms just once, I would use them to pat my mother on the shoulder. As I watched the swaying seeds of shepherds’ purses, I felt as if that day might truly come.”

Hoshino was a 24-year-old physical education teacher when he suffered a severe injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

Drowning in the depths of despair, he even unleashed his anger on his mother, who stayed by his side constantly to take care of him. He was tormented by the thought that he might be unable to do anything on his own for the rest of his life.

What taught him the meaning of life were the wildflowers and grasses he had never paid much attention to before.

“This flower blooms only on this plant. That’s right, there are things only I can do.”

Holding a brush in his mouth, he painted the flowers of the four seasons and added words to them. He recalls that when he first completed his work, it was not so much a painting that emerged but hope.

Many people have been encouraged by his works because they embody the infinite strength and kindness of the human spirit.

He cherished small lives and expressed gratitude for the unseen. The power of faith, which he received through baptism during his hospitalization, must have also played a role.

Hoshino passed away at the age of 78. When I recently visited the Tomihiro Art Museum in Midori, Gunma Prefecture, the visitor’s book was filled with messages saying “thank you.”

In his writings, he noted, “Just beside a flower falling from a branch, there is a bud that is just beginning to open on the same branch; when a single flower withers, it leaves behind many fruits. How similar the life of a human is to a branch of flowers.”

I ruminate on each and every seed that Hoshino left behind.

—The Asahi Shimbun, May 12

* * *

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.