“Arigatou” by Funky Monkey Babys (2013)

Another song, another moment for nostalgia

It has been five years since I first heard “Arigatou” by the hip hop group Funky Monkey Babys. It was one of the first Japanese hip hop songs I had listened to. It was also one of the best songs I listened to in 2013.

2013 was one of the most trying years in my life and one of the best too, in terms of music and experiences. There are negative experiences, of course. They could have sidetracked me but I realized I could not control those circumstances. I moved forward with some sort of strength and happiness, which I always have.

I lost people and money that year. I never lose the songs, though. They are always fresh and alive in my memory.

I also do not lose my sense of gratitude and my spirit of thanksgiving.

Funky Monkey Babys gearing up for "Arigatou", their last single. Image from https://mghorn.com

I would not have survived 2013 without the help of a very few people who provided me the tools and leads to move forward after the loss of a job I held for almost five years. They helped me look at the bright side behind the negative events I went through and bolstered my character of strength and happiness. They are the people I keep in my heart up to now.

I feel sad that I was not able to sustain or make better the many relationships I made years before I was forced to resign from work in 2013. The people I met too that year… well, they were just extras in my cinema of life.

I wonder where I did go wrong in my relationships with people. But I believe I am good with the ones I could keep. I pray for all of them, though. I hope they do not have a bad memory of me. In some ways, they helped me make sense of 2013 and make me the person I am now.

Because of them, I strive to find joy in the little things and to live each day as if it is Thanksgiving Day. Forever grateful I will be.