Hi friends, welcome to the Wabi-Sabi podcast. This is episode number 119. I'm so happy that you are here to join me today. My hands on my heart. Welcome. If you are a longtime friend of the Wabi-Sabi podcast, thank you for listening. And if you're a new friend, welcome. This is a safe space for

everyone. I'm so excited to have you here. It's not a perfect space. It's not a place where I will

preach to you. And it's certainly not a place where I'm going to give you all my beliefs and views

and values and morals and say that this is the way and it's the only way.

I am a daughter of a Japanese mother who is Buddhist and a Polish American father who was raised

Catholic, as was I. And then later in life, my father opened the door to a non-dominational

church that follows the Bible, but in a different

sort of way where he just wants to read straight from the Bible. And my mother is still a long-time

Buddhist. And I started dabbling into both worlds as a kid. I was introduced to Buddhism and Christianity and

catechism early. So my new book Spirited is really about being American, which means you can be

all things and come as you are. And that we truly are a place where cultures should be able to mesh,

and we should be able to learn in love through kindness in a lens of understanding one another.

I am here today to speak to you guys about a couple of things that have come up.

There was a darling cat rescue girl. You know, I work deeply in the

cat rescue space for kittens, cats, elderly cats, and cats that are homeless and in need,

especially with little wanderers, NYC. And there was this beloved girl that was called the

oldest young cat lady, or the oldest young cat lady,

or the youngest old cat lady, forgive me.

And she was huge in her community in Seattle.

And she had left a note for everybody on Instagram that her pain mentally

and her mental health and wellness space was not good.

And she decided to end her life yesterday,

...