GRATITUDE: Parked at the upper floor of the Hillsdale mall today and was totally reminded of how that’s where mom used to park when we would go when I was a kid. Driving down El Camino in our 1980 something rust colored Toyota Corolla, probably listening to K101 on the radio. There used to be a McDonald’s at the mall back then, and she would get me a cheeseburger happy meal, and I would sit in the back on the colored stools where there was a life sized model of Ronald McDonald himself & maybe the Hamburgler? I could never imagine going to the mall now with the kids as being one of the things we did/do together regularly…but I suppose going to grab boba, or meeting at Backhaus on early dismissal Tuesdays, biking to Suruki market for onigiri and picnic lunch are the same kinds of memories just in a different way. I realized a few weeks ago that soon I won’t be walking either kid to school anymore. Juniper will likely follow suit and be riding the bus in no time to BIS. It’s a strange feeling knowing they are gaining their independence while simultaneously losing my purpose in their lives…maybe not losing but transforming again to something different as it has been continuously doing for the last 12 years. Jasper’s birthday is just 20 days away now.
FOCUS: Japanese assignment #7 done, oral presentation next, and lesson 7 quiz…still trying to decide what to do about spring quarter…I don’t think I can fully commit to another class right now. I want to be out in the garden and planning our Japan trip. I also do t want to lost this learning and keep progressing but could I stay accountable to learning on my own at my own pace? Must look into alternatives and/or come up with an actual schedule…what is doable? The days are getting nice out and it’s time to get seeds in the ground/weeding…need to run again too now that I’m feeling like I can actually do it.
INSPIRATION: Learning more about Japanese words and the weight and subtleties behind their meanings is pretty fascinating-
Natsukashii is a Japanese word used when something evokes a fond memory from your past. It’s a word you exclaim as a smile creeps across your face. Japanese word that means happy nostalgia, it is the moment in which memory transports you to a beautiful memory that fills you with sweetness.
Setsunai is a Japanese word that doesn’t have an exact English translation, but it roughly translates to “the pain of things” or even “sweet sorrow”. It’s derived from the kanji 切 (setsu), which means “to cut”. It’s a mix of happiness and vague sadness, nostalgia or longing for someone or something.
Furusato covers a mix of emotions. In one sense, it captures that melancholy feeling of bygone times and innocence lost. Yet at the same time it carries a feeling of warmth, and fond memories of good times with family and friends.