Friends, Family Have Helped Me after My Serious Accident, but I Feel Guilty

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:28 JST, May 4, 2025

Dear Troubleshooter:

I’m a 14-year-old male student. Recently, I was involved in an accident while riding my bicycle.

I sustained severe injuries to both my arms and legs. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was told it would take three to four months to recover from my injuries.

Since I can’t do much by myself now, my family helps me at home, and my teachers and friends help me at school. They’re all very considerate.

I feel guilty about the situation. Additionally, I find it difficult to honestly tell them how grateful I am. As I feel bad that they have to help me, my apologetic words come out first.

Many people tell me that I shouldn’t worry and that it’s just something that happened. In my head, I understand that it’s out of my hands, but I keep worrying that I’m an inconvenience, and it makes me think negatively.

How should I deal with these feelings of guilt?

X, Chiba Prefecture

Dear Mr. X:

I am so sorry to hear that you were seriously injured in a bicycle accident. As you need three to four months to recover from your injuries, it’s clear how serious they are. It’s a relief that you survived.

You’ll likely need physical therapy for a long time before you fully recover. But please don’t be discouraged. Just continue to work hard.

Your letter touched me deeply, as I can tell how kind you are and what a pure heart you have. Your letter gives me great hope for Japan’s future, as it tells me that there are 14-year-olds who care so much for others.

The most important thing I want to convey to you is that it’s enough just to be alive. Your parents are happy simply because you’re alive. If your irreplaceable life were lost, your parents would never be free from sorrow for the rest of their lives.

Another thing: It’s a give-and-take. Life is a continuous cycle of being an inconvenience to others and being inconvenienced by them.

You might feel that you’re being an inconvenience to your family and friends now. But once you recover from your injuries, there will be times when you can help them in some way.

It’s all give-and-take.

Eiko Yamaguchi, writer