Cycling Lives

The word from my friends in Japan is that cherry blossoms are open now over there. The world famous cherry blossoms. This is the season I miss about Japan the most. It’s been more than a few years that I got to be there to catch the ephemerally beautiful scenes of Japanese landscape, which can be rather evasive. Even if you miss the cherry blossoms, there’s a plenty of delight with spring green and blossoms to delight your eyes with. I love this season of new beginnings.

While I miss the culture of seasonal sensitivities, I get to attune myself to the passage of time via natural life cycles. In the last couple of years in my life alone, a bunch of beloved lives have moved on to the next realm, and a new grand-daughter was born. Everyday on social media I see people’s posts about someone in their life passing on or about new arrivals both human and otherwise.

It’s been almost a year and a half since my last beloved kitty, Nicola, left us, and six months since my mom left. I’m grateful that these two much anticipated losses didn’t come at the same time as it provided the time and space for grieving for both in a gentle pace. Even though there’s a little bit of ache in my heart from the losses, now I think I am ready to welcome a new life in our household. I’ve begun to ask around about possible adoptees of four-legged friends, ideally a small dog and a kitten. There’s no shortage of animals needing homes, so it’s a matter of finding the right match.

As the world seems to be back to the pre-pandemic busy-ness, I’m clinging to the stillness we witnessed in pandemic that allowed more present awareness to watch the cycles of life bringing both joy and sadness. I’m now opening myself to more experiences of life with some furry companions.