Emily

“Before leaving, he turned and gazed at the x-ray machine that had sown seeds of death in his blood, and he became calmer. The machine was no longer the new shiny thing Professor Suetsugu had brought. It had paint chipped off here and was worn there, just like Nagai. Was not that the best way to end up, worn out in the service of your fellow men? Nagai realized he was no longer trembling. Peace had returned and even a sense of gratitude for a full life.”
― Paul Glynn, A Song for Nagasaki: The Story of Takashi Nagai a Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb

“Bamboo and pine denote endurance and fidelity. No matter how cold the winter or how torrid the summer, they remain green and vigorous.”
― Paul Glynn, A Song for Nagasaki: The Story of Takashi Nagai a Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb

“God has never said you have to perform great deeds for your country and humanity to have lived well. Where would that leave all the sick people in the world? Look at me, for instance, needing to be assisted all the time. You wouldn't say that we sick and bedridden of the world are 'useful'! But usefulness is not the point. Our lives are of great worth if we accept with good grace the situation Providence places us in and go on living lovingly. A sick person who has grasped this will live so full a life that there will be no room for morbid death wishes.”
― Paul Glynn, A Song for Nagasaki: The Story of Takashi Nagai a Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb

“Midori turned her head and spoke quietly with composure. ‘We said before we married, and before you went to China the second time, that if our lives are spent for the glory of God, then life and death are beautiful. You have given everything you had for work and that was very important. It was for His glory.”
― Paul Glynn, A Song for Nagasaki: The Story of Takashi Nagai a Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb