早春の帰省の旅 / An early spring trip back home

春の気配が増してきた 3月29日、ほぼひと月振りに帰省してきました。

On March 29, the first day of spring, I went home for the first time in almost a month.

遅い彼岸の墓参りと、義姉が亡くなって、一人で家に居る事が多くなった兄が心配での帰省でしたが、本当は僕自身が生きる道を探す為の帰省だったかも知れません。

I went home to visit the graves on the late equinox holiday and to worry about my brother, who has been home alone more often since the death of his sister-in-law, but in truth, it may have been my own search for a way of life.

いつもより手前の駅で下車をして、遠くの峠を目指している途中です。時々、速く走ろうとしてしまいますが、ペース配分の大切さをしっかり体得しました。体力が少し戻ってきたのかも知れません。

I got off at a station farther away than usual and was on my way to a mountain pass in the distance. Sometimes I try to run fast, but I have learned the importance of pacing myself. I may have regained some of my strength.

僕は、見向きされなくなった旧道が好きです。軽自動車でさえすれ違えない不便な道で、路上には枯葉や枯れ枝が散乱していますが、僕にとっては優しさと安らぎを与えてくれる道です。時代は便利さへと進みますが、きっと、そうではない道にこそ大きな価値があると思います。

I like old roads that are no longer looked upon. They are inconvenient roads where even light vehicles cannot pass each other, and the roadside is littered with dead leaves and branches, but for me they are roads that give me a sense of tenderness and peace of mind. The times are moving toward convenience, but I am sure that there is great value in the roads that are not so convenient.