Good morning!
It’s Wednesday, and our Japan adventure has taken us to a particularly exquisite and complex word: mono no aware, the Kanji for which is 物の哀れ.
A little context here. Before the big heatwave last week, I cut the above peony and brought it inside. I knew it wouldn’t last long, but I couldn’t bear to let it go just yet. Knowing its ephemerality made every second of its fleeting presence on my kitchen table that much more exquisite, more meaningful.
And that, my fellow voyagers, is at the heart of mono not aware. It encompasses the idea that my peony’s impermanence is integral to its beauty. The word is often used when talking about the cherry blossoms. Same idea. If we were surrounded by cherry blossoms and peonies 365 days a year, would we appreciate them as much? Probably not. Therefore, let us rejoice that we had a chance to rejoice.
“Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it.”
—W. Somerset Maugham
Onwards,
Clara
"Nothing gold can stay"
Love this!👏🏻❤️