I recently read about the Japanese concept of ichigo ichie.
It translates roughly to "Once, a meeting," and also, "In this moment, an opportunity."
Ichigo ichie is the recognition that what we're experiencing in this very moment will never again happen like it's happening now and so we should savour it. It's an appreciation of the present and acknowledgement that moments are all we really have; that the most beautiful things in life are fleeting.
We're so distracted with past torments and future hopes that simply being present - with ourselves, with our environment, and with those around us - is often quite literally the last thing on our minds. Ichigo ichie reminds us to take our foot off the gas and appreciate what's in front of us at this very moment. It's a call to put down our phones, engage our senses, and truly be with others.
Even if you're meeting with the same group of friends for drinks at the same bar, every Friday, week after week, each encounter should not taken for granted as it can never truly be replicated. Each week you will all be a little older, bringing in different energies and experiences; the weather will change, the seasons too - and you don't truly know if the next week will even arrive for everyone there.
In Japan, 'Ichigo ichie' is often spoken when saying goodbye, as a reminder to each party that this exact moment in time has never happened before and will never happen again, and that if we don't show gratitude and celebrate it together the moment will be wasted and lost forever.
Ichigo ichie.
