Mickey Hung

Real Family Issues

This morning, a reader from Japan chatted with me. She lives in Ōiso Town, Kanagawa Prefecture. She said that early one evening, an angler there discovered a person floating on the sea. Police arrived shortly after and retrieved the body. The elderly woman was confirmed dead at the hospital.

The deceased was a 79-year-old woman. Her husband, aged 81, and their two adult children lived separately due to work. It is said that the woman had been physically disabled for many years and relied on a wheelchair. Her husband is suspected of having killed her himself, unable to bear the heavy burden and pressure of long-term caregiving for another elderly person. Later, their child called the police and reported that the father had confessed to pushing the mother into the sea.

This is a family tragedy—a tragedy of two elderly people, and perhaps a reflection of what could one day become our own future. Such cases are sadly common in Southeast Asian countries.

According to psychologists, when people who share similar life situations witness a certain scene, they tend to project themselves into it—this is known as the Law of Attraction.

The reader who phoned me is 65 years old. She told me that last night she dreamed her husband pushed her into Aokigahara Forest. She felt no fear, because in the dream, her husband said he loved her very much.

After hanging up, I looked up the news. According to Yomiuri Shimbun, 81-year-old Hiroshi Fujiwara is suspected of pushing his 79-year-old wife, Teruko Fujiwara, along with her wheelchair, into the sea near the Ōiso fishing port at around 5:30 p.m. on the evening of October 2. Afterward, he returned home and confessed the act to their son.

While police were still confirming the woman’s identity, they suddenly received a phone call from the couple’s 50-year-old son, saying, “My father told me he pushed my mother into the sea.” The police then identified the husband as the suspect.

On October 3, Hiroshi Fujiwara was arrested on suspicion of murder. During questioning, he confessed, saying simply:

“I took care of her for 40 years. I’m really tired.”

When I read this line, my hand froze. I put down my pen, lit a stick of incense, and recited: Amitabha.

According to neighbors, for more than forty years they had seen the husband caring for his wife every day. His devotion left a deep impression on everyone—both admirable and heartbreaking.

As a student of psychology, I know that under the Law of Attraction, it’s hard to stay neutral when interpreting such a case. Some possible reflections might include:

1. Legalization of euthanasia
2. Expansion of elderly nursing facilities
3. The meaning of filial piety
4. ……………………

If you have thoughts on these topics, feel free to leave a comment.

我照顾她40年，真的累了

#现实家庭问题#

早上，日本一位读者跟我聊天，她说她住的大矶町(神奈川县)早二晚有一名钓客发现有人漂浮在海面上，后来警方到场，将人打捞上岸送医后，落海的老妇人证实身亡。

死者是一名79岁妇人，丈夫是81岁，有2名孩子，因工作关系，孩子没有跟父母同住。据悉，死者长年行动不便需要坐轮椅，而丈夫疑似是不堪老老照护的重责与压力，亲手杀害妻子。随后孩子主动通报警方称，父亲坦承将母亲推下海中。

这是一宗家庭悲剧，悲剧是一对年老的长者，悲剧也可能下一个是我们的将来，这些悲剧，在东南亚国家很常见。

按照心理学家说，当一群状况相似的人看到一些景象，他/她们就很容易投影在自己心里，叫Law of Attraction。 给我电话的，是一位65岁读者，她昨晚造了一个梦，梦到自己被丈夫推入“青木原树海”，她没有恐惧，因为梦中他的丈夫说很爱她。

收线后，我翻查了一些新闻，根据《读卖新闻》报导，现年81岁的“藤原宏”2日晚间5时半左右，涉嫌将79岁妻子藤原照子连同轮椅推下大矶町渔港的海中，将其杀害，并在回家后主动向儿子坦承犯行。

警方在调查老太太身分时，突然接到死者50岁长子的电话称，「父亲说自己把妈妈推进海里。」警方才将男事主锁定为嫌疑人。

“藤原宏”3日被警方依杀人嫌疑逮捕，而在面对调查时，他坦言说，「我照顾她照顾了40年，真的累了。」

写到这里，我的笔硬了，放下笔，上了一炷香， 阿弥陀佛。

读者说，很多邻居在过去40多年来，他/她们每天都看到死者的丈夫在照顾她，这样的奉献精神让人留下深刻印象，也感到很佩服，很难过。

笔者读的是心理学，受到Law of Attraction 影响，不能有一个中立说法， 例如：

1. 安乐死立法。

• 普及长者疗养院。

• 孝道。

• …………………。

大家对这些话题有想法， 欢迎留言。

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