Scallop Shell Candles
There was a husband and wife living in MInami-Sanriku-Cho, one of hard hit towns by the 3/11 Tsunami of Japan.
They were engaged in marine product processing. The husband ran his company with 30 employees. However, on March 11, 2011, an M9.0 earthquake triggered a huge tsunami that washed away their home and a factory. As the couple beforehand evacuated the home into a friend's house, they could survive the tsunami. But, next day the husband went out alone to see condition of his factory only to fall on site and never recover. A hardworking man died at 62. At that time, he had scheduled to have a heart bypass in a hospital in 12 days. So, his wife was left alone. It passed 49 days (a period for Buddhist services for the repose of a deceased's soul held on) after the tragic death of her husband; then she realized that he would never come back. She made herself busy helping other evacuees, cooking meals, and delivering material aid and goods in the town. And one day her acquaintance suggested making candles.
Her husband kept a great heap of shells of scallops. He intended to sell them as material for fertilizer. And those shells remained in the back yard of the factory as a miracle remnant from the horrible tsunami that destroyed everything the couple made and built in their life. So, she decided to use the shells. She started to work on turning scallop shells into candles by washing them, drying them in the sun, pouring wax into them, and arranging them with beads and lame. The shells finally look like part of an ocean.
Now, Hotate Candles (scallop candles) are offered at 1,000 yen ($13) per piece. They have already sold 8,000 pieces.
The surviving wife is now going her way supported by scallop shells and a fishing boat her late, self-made husband left after the 3/11 Great Tsunami of East Japan.
(The Tokyo Shimbun newspaper)
*** *** *** ***
Psa 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Psa 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.