「心」Kokoro: Heart / Mind

久しぶりに故郷で迎えた新年は、日本文化のいいところずくめで、やっぱり日本っていいなぁ〜って、心がほっこりしています。年越しそばに、お雑煮。初詣に、おみくじ。懐かしい写真達に、家族の笑い声。１月１日には、早速家族を巻き込んで、書初め大会もしました。そんな時間にすっかり心温まり、北海道の実家にて、今年の抱負を書きました。

私が今一番大切にしたいものは「心」です。世界中何処にいても、どこを目指していくにも、誰と接するにも、いちばん大切なものは「心」だなと思います。心を込めて書いた文字の熱意は、きっと相手に伝わる。心を込めて作ったものに宿る想いは、きっと人の心を動かす。心を込めた「ありがとう」が、何よりも心に響く。

これから挑戦していく全てのことに、創っていく作品の一文字一文字に、出逢う人ひとりひとりに、この写真を見てくれたあなたの輝く一年に、「心」を込めて。

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First time in many years, I spent “Japanese style” New Years with my family in Japan this Winter. It made me realize how much I love Japan – we had New Year “toshikoshi” soba to celebrate the beginning of the new year, as well as “Ozoni”, a bowl of mochi and vegetables in a warm broth, to wish for health and well-being. We went to “hatsumo-de”, which is to visit the local shrine on the New Years day and make a wish, and picked good-luck charm and a fortune slip called “omikuji”. We laughed at old photos of our family, my mom and dad’s wedding and baby me being held in mom’s arms and smiling with my baby sister. I also instructed my family to do “kakizome”, writing new-years resolution in calligraphy, which turned out to be so much fun. I got to spend traditional way of celebrating New Years with family and my love, and feeling so warmed up inside. I came back to my family home in Hokkaido, and wrote my own “kakizome” (my new year’s resolution):

心 kokoro : “Heart / Mind”

— This is what I want to cherish and value the most in each work I complete and with everyone I’ll interact with this year, wherever I am in the world. I believe that if you put your heart in what you do, it should resonate with others; when you craft with care and heart it should move others; if you put your heart into a simple “thank you” when you tell it, it should touch another.

For challenges I will overcome, each character I will be writing with my brush, each one of you I will meet, and for you reading this post – with all my heart.

Photo by Benyamin Marx