What a Month – August I Mean
Birthdays
Day five of this new month and already six important birthdays with several more following closely on their heels – ages range from three to 92. Today, my twin great granddaughters who have already changed our lives for the better, turn three. And my dear 92 year old friend, our own special reader, who I featured two or three weeks ago. Those in between would have my head if I made a fuss over them but they know who they are.
You haven’t seen Isabelle and Evelyn for two years, if I recall:
I love birthdays and all excuses to celebrate life. and I am aware of my good fortune to have wonderful people in my life to celebrate with as I can imagine do all of you.
It is interesting that as a school child we can hardly wait to get older and as an elder we sometimes dismiss our birthday – in fact some people don’t want to acknowledge it at all. I am not one of those people and feel beyond lucky to keep having one.
Today a friend sent me a video from the BBC about the Japanese philosophy of Kintsugi. It honours, along with wabi sabi, impermanence, ageing, broken pottery in a unique way. This is something I have written about a few times and it is lovely to explore again.
Here is the link to the five minute video. Best to watch on a computer or perhaps a tablet, rather than a phone. It is in Japanese but closed captions appeared automatically on my screen. Two hints. Be patient with the short ad, at the beginning as it doesn’t last and I recommend that you click on the square icon located on the bottom right of the video which gives you a full screen.
Speaking of things Japanese, I follow a lovely writer from Tokyo, Kaki Okumura. She has a gentle, non-prescriptive way of writing about health that appeals to my sensibilities. She writes about daily living and brings a non-judgemental perspective to ordinary situations. I find her appealing as it is a counter weight to the western bias of always insisting on more effort, more will power, striving to be better, which can be exhausting. If you are interested here is a link to her website.
“Without shame shrouding the view, we find foresight
Admitting that something as simple as the weather affects my desire to cook might seem like a weakness, but I don’t think it is.
We’re often quick to judge ourselves when healthy habits feel difficult, assuming the problem is a lack of willpower rather than recognizing the many external factors that shape our behavior.
It’s okay if something as ordinary as a hot day makes cooking feel less appealing. When we can acknowledge that without judgment, we replace shame with self-understanding. And from that place, it becomes much easier to plan around our reality instead of fighting it.”
One last thing, which I showed you a year ago is a card for surviving the summer heat from my friend Sheila. Today I am sweltering in my study, even with the help of a small handheld fan, and I want to pass it on to you again.
NOTES
1) This card was new to me. My friend received it and knew I would enjoy learning about a “summer card.” The Japanese reads “Best wishes during this hot summer.” These cards are called Shochu mimai (暑中見舞い) and are traditional Japanese summer greeting cards sent during the hottest period of summer (usually July to early August) to check on friends and family’s well-being, during the heat. It looks refreshing, don’t you think, with the koi and the sense of a breeze. I already feel a little better just looking at it here on my screen.
2) I suppose what I appreciate about so many of these Japanese rituals is their attention to the way things are. And an attitude of co-existing with life in a gentle and joyful way to preserve, protect, adapt and encourage. They consider the rituals of daily life, and seasons to be worthy of our care and attention. Treasuring once in a lifetime moments, no matter how humble, that will never be repeated again.
3) I highly recommend a top ten book on my list by Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder. I love giving this book to new parents and teachers. Rachel points out, “if a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder…he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”
4) This is one of my favourite roles as a grandmother, to help point out the ordinary and majestic wonders of the world. The three year old birthday girls and the 92 year old woman in this post all have that in common and they inspire me everyday.
5) Thank you for taking time to read these musings. Your company is greatly appreciated and never taken for granted. May you have many moments to experience a sense of well-being. Warmly, Trudy
Best wishes for hottest summer days. Take good care of yourself. (暑中お見舞い申し上げます）
How adorable Isabelle and Evelyn are! They bring me smile and fresh cool breeze. Thank you, Trudy.
Thank you dear Yoshie for your delightful note. I am sure my heat complaints do not stack up to what happens in Japan.I do hope you get time in the mountains to cool off. Greetings to all. Warmly, Trudy
Heat and wood fire smoke. The mountains have disappeared today in Vancouver even though the sun is shining. Always looking for the joy in small moments. Thank you for your reminders. Your great grand babies are a sweet joy.
Thank you Sue. The girls are easy to love and I was happy to share their photos this week.I hop the smoke and heat doesn’t last.The west coast has been my refuge in summertime.As always, Trudy
Such a gift to see pictures of those beautiful little girls. The card so apropo too as calgary swelters and we pray for all the people escaping the forest fires.
Carefree summers are not quite so common anymore. I love that “summer card.”Thanks for your kind note Jean and may you enjoy this weekend. Warmly, Trudy
Your sense of wonder, and the way that you share it with the world, is such an inspiration to me Trudy. Thanks for this.
Always so kind dear Margaret. Thank you. The inspiration always goes both ways. Warmly, Trudy
Sending you a cool breeze (just slightly cooler, about 28° C) from the Bavarian Forest with a grateful heart – THANK YOU, TRUDY for this wonderful post. As all of them do, it reminds me of how gifted I am…
I felt the cool breeze dear Sabine. thank you. Gratefully, Trudy
Such wonderful pictures Trudy – all birthdays are important to celebrate in my view. Appreciated Okumura’s wisdom on self-judgment, especially on some of these 30+ days 🙂 xoxo
Thank you Janice. Okumura has a lovely angle of view in the way she sees the world. I appreciate her and as always, you. Warmly, Trudy
Many lovely gifts you have sent us for this moment, Trudy: thank you. Familiar as I am with kintsugi and wabi sabi, it is so refreshing, enlivening, to reflect on these practices again: your post is your shochu mimai to us.
The fullness of my joy is to behold God in everything. . . so I hear far-away murmurs of God’s love and life-giving promises here. I hear the small ‘p’ potter perhaps whispering to us, figuratively, of a big ‘P’ Potter in whose hands we are the pots; none to be used and disposed of; all of us accepting our brokenness and owning our flaws; submitting ourselves to be repaired with the sap [which the small ‘p’ potter calls the “blood” of the tree] that must be “cut down” for our sakes.
And, the small ‘p’ potter concludes, “you will be reborn” — dusted with everlasting gold.
Ah dear Meguido. The allegory you observed, if I am grammatically correct, is most interesting. It brings to mind the writing of our old friend Frederick Buechner.I am happy that you could write so beautifuly about what is most important to you, from this cross cultural message. And honestly, I am grateful and humbled that you found a “gentle breeze” in this post. Thank you for taking the time to tell me so. I deeply appreciate it. As always, Trudy
Thank you for sharing the amazing photos. Three – can’t be! The card is so beautiful—I truly loved it.
Soon it will be our birthday time, and I can’t wait to celebrate you… and us!
Take care during these hot summer days, although how lucky are we to be able to enjoy them? I just got back from a month in Mexico, and so many people wondered why I would go during the hottest season. But I love the heat, the sunshine, and the beautiful nighttime thunderstorms. And the best part is coming home to more sunshine!
Sending you lots of love, and I can’t wait to celebrate together.
Thank you dear Teresa: We have much in common except the heat. You will find me in the shade and I will wave at you in full sun.Happy to share birthday time together, even at a distance.Take good care of your dear self. As always, Trudy