3 Times I Faced Death and How It Made Me Free

Today I’m going to share 3 times I faced death and how it made me free.

This blog post is dedicated to my Auntie Lucia Furono, who passed away on Sunday, my son’s 7th birthday.

She was a beautiful, strong lady who I got to visit, along with her husband Jiro, when I quit my job and traveled to Niagara Falls and Buffalo New York on April 1, 2017.

1st Time – Death’s Door By a Pick Up Truck – Living not Working

The 1st time I faced death was when I was a PhD student at University of Hawaii at Manoa.

I wasn’t paying attention, and when I was crossing the street I heard the brakes of a pickup truck and it stopped, nearly hitting me.

I felt like I almost died.

I realized that I was too caught up in work as a PhD student that I had lost sight of my own life, my own surroundings.

That night I didn’t study, I went to the movies.

Long story short, I quit the PhD program.

I have never been a work-a-holic since.

I now take time for myself.

I look at the people I am with.

I don’t answer cell phones when I meditate, when I talk to people.

I don’t even bring it with me sometimes.

I live in the moment, now.

I am aware of my life, and my surroundings.

I am so blessed =)

2nd Time – He Didn’t Get to Retire – Living instead of Retiring

I worked at a bank, and everyone there complained about how they didn’t get paid enough.

The officers would complain of the stress and long hours.

They all wanted to retire.

Well, one gentleman was about to retire, but about a month before he was set to retire, he went home early because he wasn’t feeling well and then he died of a heart attack.

He never did retire.

That hit me pretty hard.

I didn’t want to be in a job, looking forward to retirement.

I wanted to live life now.

I wanted to love what I do so much that it would never even occur to me to retire.

It was a tragedy.

All he thought about and talked about was retiring, for years and years.

I realized I wanted to talk about living.

Living and growing and learning and loving.

My last day working that job at the bank was December 23, 2016.

3rd Time – Missile Attack on Hawaii – Living Life to the Fullest

In Hawaii, a couple years ago, we all got an emergency text message saying there were missiles coming from Korea and to take shelter.

I was in a yoga class, and even though I wanted to keep going, the gym closed down.

I went home to Jomel and Jordan, who was 4 or 5 at the time.

I remember thinking, if I die now, I would be ok with it. I live my life everyday to the fullest.

I am going for my dreams.

I have clients that I’m working with to help them create freedom.

I have a wonderful husband and a beautiful son.

I have time to enjoy a yoga class.

My life is so blessed.

The only thing I thought was sad was that Jordan might die, and he was so cute and full of life. It seemed like such a shame.

I was glad that I was happy with my life.

Loving Conclusion

When I quit my job in 2016, I spent the following week hanging out with my Dad who was visiting from Taiwan.

I got to spend the whole time together with him, instead of having to go to work.

I went on over a month of vacation in 2017. That’s when I got to visit my auntie Lucia and my Uncle Jiro.

I got to introduce them to Jordan who was 4 years old at the time and some of Jomel’s relatives (Jomel was sick, from over work, and couldn’t make it out that day).

My Mom came with us and she got to see them again too.

We had a really good time.

I’m so glad that I got to visit them.

If I hadn’t quit my job, I wouldn’t have been able to take so much time to visit family.

If I hadn’t quit my job, I wouldn’t have been able to spend so much time writing cards and sending pictures of us to my Auntie and Uncle the following years.

I hadn’t seen them for over 20 years when I made that visit in 2017.

For this I feel blessed.

Take the time now to visit your loved ones.

Quit that job you hate.

Go for your dreams.

Be free.