Meet Kei


Ten years later … with gray hair matching the Havanese siblings

I have been a linguist during my early years, an educator in my 20's, 30's and part of 40's, and a writer, consultant, and entrepreneur in my 40's and 50's. In between, I worked in clinical research and computer technology. So by old standards, I have been totally "unfocused" in career patterns, and by the current standards, great at adjusting to changes! So it is probably good that I am living in the 21st century.

Now that I've passed the milestone of turning 60, however, I seem to go back to my earlier interest in art. I now have the time to revisit my old calligraphy sets or to look at my father's great artwork (kamakura-bori, a traditional Japanese art of carving and lacquering). Although I cannot duplicate his work in wood carving and lacquering, I am using his old sketches in wood-burning. This is the chapter in my life where all of my experiences seem to come together. The art-boxes I offer on this site have not only my interest in art but in life's transitions that should be cherished and shared.

People have asked me why I wrote books on four topics totally unrelated to one another. My answer is that there is one common thread there. I wrote because there was a separate need for each book. A Quantum Leap to Collegiate Athletics was reviewed positively by the Associated Press and was used by many parents, coaches and students. From Grief to Memories was used by the Red Cross after 9/11 as it was published a few months before 9/11, later by local hospices and as gifts by many other individuals. It was translated into Japanese and published in Japan in 2005, which sparked many lectures on grief. Writing for me has had no financial goals or gains, nor do I claim to have a real gift in writing. My reward comes from getting positive feedbacks from the readers that the book was useful

If I were to pick one person in my childhood who influenced me the most, it would be my fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, Kogawa-sensei. In a society where emotions were often boxed up, he encouraged us daily to be proud of being human complete with all emotions: fear, sadness, anger, love and laughter. "Don't be afraid to express your feelings," he would remind us. We are born with the ability and the freedom to emote as we go through life's pathways and crossroads. What helps us go past those transitions is the emotional expression and sharing.

Last year, I expanded the use of memory boxes from bereavement to all of life's events worthy of commemorating, capturing memories for many years to come. Life's events should be commemorated, remembered and shared. Someone locally has quietly been purchasing my boxes prior to my website's re-opening, and it has been interesting to see how she is using the boxes for various celebrations.

As John Donne said in Meditation XVII, “No man is an island...” So we are somehow interconnected from one soul to another, and out of our sharing, new threads of compassion are born, touching others.

Soras Corporation stands for innovative and creative ways of expressing and sharing life's experiences.

Kei Gilbert, 2007