My life was intense. I wrote about it in my memoir, which was published in 2007. I didn’t know how to rest. I didn’t know how to take a break. I’m a professional dancer, singer and model, as well as an author and linguist.

I won 1973 Miss International at age 18 in Japan. I was born and raised in Japan by traditional parents, and went to a so-called elite school.

I have kept in shape by exercising every day. I was admired by people for decades; they told me I still had the same features from my beauty queen days.

I thought it was my “mission” to be a positive inspiration for the people I met. I was a public figure, called the “face of Japan” while working at the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco for 31 years — until the pandemic came. I retired in 2021.

After I retired, my daily exercise routine became four hours a day.

I thought I was one in a million to be able to do acrobatic movements in my dances at 70 years old. But, more than a year ago, my exercise routine started to become much harder to do. I went to my doctor. He didn’t take anything seriously then; he thought it was just part of the normal aging process — actually, angina syndrome was setting in.

Finally, I had a heart attack. After being taken to a San Francisco cardiac unit — and catheterization — they found one artery was closed and four more places were nearly closed. I had to go through a double bypass open heart surgery. It was a six-hour surgery and I got a blood transfusion.

It was my first hospital stay in my life, besides when I gave birth. I had a healthy delivery at 43 years old. They allowed me to stay for two nights because my son was born in a lower-weight bracket. He grew up to be a successful young man.

God finally gave me a rest.

I have been recuperating.

After this, I know I won’t be able to do acrobatic movements in dance anymore, and I will lose my specialness. It’s sad, but everyone ages.

I was bragging that I was modeling bikinis at 60 years old. That won’t happen anymore.

It’s sad. But, this is life. Night always breaks to dawn. The sun is still shining.

Miki Chavez is a San Rafael resident. IJ readers are invited to share their stories of love, dating, parenting, marriage, friendship and other experiences for our How It Is column, which runs Tuesdays in the Lifestyles section. All stories must not have been published in part or in its entirety previously. Send your stories of no more than 600 words to lifestyles@marinij.com. Please write How It Is in the subject line. The IJ reserves the right to edit them for publication. Please include your full name, address and a daytime phone number.