Sightseeing with friends at the Imperial Palace Our assignment was to help with registration for the annual Charity Runathon for Tokyo English Life Line (TELL). The NPO, operating for more than 30 years, provides both telephone and face-to-face counseling for Japan’s foreign community. TELL’s services provide vital help for individuals needing support as they struggle with mental health issues, cross-cultural stresses, marital or health crises, thoughts of suicide, child rearing concerns, unfair labor practices, and more.
Money in the bank certainly is not what validates a not-for-profit organization like TELL. But it may well be the indicator of how long such a service can operate, especially in these economically challenging days. Thus the Charity Runathon is an important fund-raising effort that helps TELL stay afloat. Knowing this, we were grateful for every man, woman, and child—more than 1,000 strong—who turned out on that beautiful Saturday morning to walk 5 kilometers or to run in the 5 or 10 kilometer races.
Following registration, and after the three races around the Imperial Palace grounds were off to a good start, Bernie and I ambled over to the start-finish line. With our assigned tasks finished, we joined a small group of people who were waiting for the first 5K runners to appear. As they came into view, we all spontaneously began clapping and cheering them over the finish line. Soon we and others were handing out bottles of water and Aquarius as we congratulated the runners and those who would come in behind them. With every bottle we passed to the parched runners, we also thanked them for their participation in the Runathon. TELL would be able to continue its valuable work because of them. Amazingly, some participants were as young as five years old!
That morning Bernie and I had to awaken early on a national holiday in order to arrive at the Imperial Palace on time. Frankly, we’d wondered why we’d been so foolish as to volunteer to give up a day when we could have slept in—something we both needed. But we felt entirely different on the return train home. We were energized as we’d not been in a long time, even without the extra sleep we craved. What was the difference? It was the joy we received at the finish line when we, without planning to do so, became encouragers. In the end, we ourselves were encouraged and uplifted.
Contemplating the experience, I recalled a YouTube video my brother was kind enough to send me recently (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao). Entitled “Validation,” this heartwarming vignette vividly portrays why the world would be a better place if people practiced the art of validating and encouraging others. A few simple words and a smile can make a huge difference. It’s true. I experienced it at the finish line of the Runathon. I’m still glowing one week later.
