If I can save even one person, that would be wonderful.

 Lately, I’ve been thinking:


"If I can save even just one person, that’s a win."


I aspire to love everyone—just as God or the Buddha does—but "everyone" is simply the sum of individuals. And nothing can begin unless you take that first step with a single person, right?


So, who is that first person?


My wife?


As Confucianism teaches, "The Way of the noble person begins with the relationship between husband and wife," so starting with one's wife seems perfectly fine.


My parents?


I’ve reflected before on how Confucianism places such heavy emphasis on filial piety because it serves as a direct line to the ultimate Parent—God.


But when you really think about it, don't most people stumble right at that first step?


I just checked with AI, and apparently, the divorce rate is around 45% in the US and 32% in Japan. Even I’ve been handed a final ultimatum time and again... always teetering on the edge. And as for filial piety—are people really managing that? I certainly don't have the confidence to say I am.


Loving the person closest to you isn't easy. How, then, could one possibly "love everyone"?


I write this blog hoping it reaches at least one person—just one is enough. Though, of course, I’m well aware of the reality. Just look at the view counts.


Anyway, let me pull myself together and continue. What was I talking about? Right—that every journey begins with a single step, and all love begins with a single person.


That doesn't mean loving *only* one person. It means that if you can truly love one person, you might become capable of truly loving everyone else, too. Just as truly loving your parents allows you to truly love God.


In short, these days I feel it’s important not to keep looking up at the horizon, but to pay attention to what’s right at my feet.


Guided by love and compassion


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