Cherishing the Unrepeatable

A reflection on the moments that happen once and stay with us forever

Sometimes an unexpected moment changes something inside of you forever. This is what happened to me this summer in Kyoto. During our family trip, our guide told us that if we met him very early the next morning, he would take us to a special Buddhist temple. Doug and I met him at sunrise and walked to the temple.

We sat together in meditation. And without expecting it, I started to cry. Not from sadness, but from a deep sense of gratitude. Gratitude for being there with Doug, gratitude for being in Japan with my family, gratitude for the beauty and stillness and for the kindness of the people who welcomed us into that space. I remember thinking, this feels surreal. Am I really here experiencing this moment?

After the meditation, the monk gave Doug a book as a gift and spent time answering our questions. When I bowed to thank him, I felt so joyful for this unexpected, treasured experience. The photo above captures that simple gesture that has more meaning than I can ever put into words. This brings us to this month’s theme: Ichigo Ichie.

Theme of the Month: Ichigo ichie (Once in a lifetime)

Ichigo ichie is a Japanese principle that means "one time, one meeting" or "once in a lifetime". Our guide in Japan shared with us that this cultural concept encourages living in the present and treasuring every moment as a unique, unrepeatable experience.

This month I invite you to notice your own ichigo ichie moments-the fleeting, beautiful, ordinary-extraordinary experiences that are here now and never again in exactly the same way. The moments that ask us to pause. The moments that will not come return in the same way. The moments worth cherishing.

“We do not remember our days, we remember moments.”–Mario de Andrade