Substrate

There are days we live as if death were nowhere in the background; from joy to joy to joy

Ichi-go ichi-e (Japanese: 一期一会, lit. “one time, one meeting”) describes a cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. The term has been translated as “for this time only,” and “once in a lifetime.” The term reminds people to cherish any gathering that they may take part in, citing the fact that any moment in life cannot be repeated; even when the same group of people get together in the same place again, a particular gathering will never be replicated, and thus each moment is always a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The concept is most commonly associated with Japanese tea ceremonies, especially tea masters Sen no Rikyū and Ii Naosuke.

standing in a new kitchen barefoot ​ face full of wind. ​ and each one brought a delight so unexpected and profound, it made me shiver with the delicate aliveness of it all.