We want to share our Ichigo Ichie moments with you. But what does that mean you ask?
A morning hug from your partner.. a meal prepared together with love.. taking a quiet stroll on a forgotten path.. sitting peacefully on a cliff watching the sun go down.. the first smile of your newborn.. making and breaking sandcastles with your kid.. the joy of experiencing cherry blossom for the first time.. watching fluttering butterflies.. random laughs with friends.. all these and many more moments are precious moments that do not recur but can stay with us for eternity only when we truly experience them.
These moments we encounter are precious because they are Ichigo Ichie. So, embrace them.
“At the end, one doesn’t remember life as a whole but as just a string of moments.” – David Levien
Hitchhike to celebrate our special moments and create yours on the way 🙂
We woke up to the landscape as white as a new page with trees clothed in powdery snow in Hakuba Village, Japan.
Over giggly conversations, we hugged and walked and we’re just happy to leave our footprints on the fresh page.
I walked barefoot on the grass. The morning dew glistened around my ankles like diamonds. I picked up a Bougainville stem and slowly walked around the shadows of trees, playing hide & seek with the squirrels.
I watched the beauty of the majestic trees that have lived on for centuries, the quaint little hut in the garden from a century ago, and the cool breeze carrying the soft scent of nature along with them. It takes so little to feel alive in the moment.
Nothing is ordinary around us, neither has been this entire year of 2020. We often had moments of frustration when we found ourselves in situations beyond our control. What kept us sailing through was living in the moment; Ichigo Ichie – Japanese way to a happy content life and during the process we un-learned and re-discovered life.
It was an extremely cold evening with winds sweeping over Sapa mountains. Walking into Fansipan Terrace Cafe for a coffee with their stellar passionfruit cheesecake. Little did I know I would give my heart away to the very mischievous little pup covered in a blanket. It’s one relationship that is unconditionally filled with fuzzy feels, cosy togetherness, soft kisses, endless cuddles and pure joy. My very own #livingichigoichie moment.
I think it was 2002. Suddenly I saw my mum’s gleaming eyes looking at a tree. A mulberry tree – right in the heart of the city. There are very few times I have seen my mum show her inner child. Mostly it’s lost in a pile of responsibilities towards us. But somehow that Mulberry tree got her to talk more openly and freely each time we walked past it. That tree is my very own Christmas tree. So, when I was at the supermarket recently, I saw boxes of Trikaya’s fresh mulberry and with the mulberry, the special memories came flooding back. It got me so much joy thinking about all our fun and gossipy mother-daughter moments. I was in such a happy place in my head. So on a whim, I decided to make homemade mulberry jam.
If I were to be a bride (again), I would blanket my house with autumn leaves and peep from the window waiting for my prince charming. My very own #livingichigoichie moment.I spend time admiring, sniffing, sitting, or just lying under the trees. Every time a leaf falls from the tree, I smile. Every time a branch sways on a breezy day, my heart dances. I surrender myself to the supreme healing power. Forest Bathing or Shirin-Yoku is a Japanese concept. Read to find how Japan has changed the way I look at the world around me.I was standing gazing at the beauty of the sea so vast and calm. Suddenly, I zoomed in to see a small piece of limestone, perhaps broken from the cliff of Botany Bay and seaweed washed up on the shore close to my feet. This made me realize that sometimes we are so engrossed in the bigger picture that we forget to acknowledge the beauty in our footsteps. Appreciation of beauty in simple things is important, isn’t it?Our car was parked along the field. We opened the boot and sat there to enjoy the view while sipping hot coffee and munching crisps. We truly lived the moment. Read more about the epic experience I had on Mayfield Lavender Farm, Banstead.We took lots of pit stops while traveling in Croatia. The next thing I knew, locals were welcoming us into their homes with exuberance. That was my Ichigo Ichie right there – no past, no future. Just alive in the present. Read more about how I created this memorable journey.
Playing Hide n Seek – While in sun, I felt its warmth caressing my skin gently and blossoming my soul. Then slowly I turned to shade and felt the crisp chill in the air as it nipped my skin.
Gosh! it felt as if I have been touched by an angel. So alive and happy. Experienced this in Hampstead Pergola Hills. Read more.
It is easy to get carried away in an urge to take that perfect picture for our Instagram that sometimes we forget to live the moment.
Once in a while ditch, the camera and instead awaken all your senses to Feel, Listen, Taste, See and get a Sniff of the place. You will be mesmerized! That’s exactly what I did in Slovenia.
A mundane afternoon transformed into a memorable one.
Don’t let that kid in you die. Keep her alive and let her loose once in a while 🙂
2 thoughts on “ichigo ichie moments…”
I’m really inspired along with your writing talents and also with the layout for your weblog. Is this a paid topic or did you customize it your self? Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to peer a nice weblog like this one nowadays.
I’m really inspired along with your writing talents and also with the layout for your weblog. Is this a paid topic or did you customize it your self? Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to peer a nice weblog like this one nowadays.
Hello,
Thank you for lovely comment. It is not paid. We feel passionate about writing and living Ichigo Ichie life, hence the blog 🙂