It was at the very end of the day. The day felt long, as Fall days tend to be each year, and kids' activities frequently have us travel from one side of LA to the other. I tucked both kids in their beds and took Mango for our evening walk. I was finally sitting by my bed, catching a few breaths before opening my 5-year journal and Hobonichi Cousin for my evening journaling routine. Most of our house's windows were closed and insulated from the outside elements as the nighttime air was cooling down - a subtle but definite shift from our summertime evenings when all our windows were open.
The quality of the distinct quietness of the night caught me off-guard. From every room, I could feel my family inhale and exhale as they drifted into their nighttime journey of sleep. It was peaceful, safe, and full of life. It was the most heart-filling and beautiful silence, instead of the void of sound from emptiness or loneliness. I paused again to acknowledge the moment and wrote my observation and gratitude in my notebook. At that moment, I felt everything was okay.
As the speed of our life tends to accelerate at this time of the year, these seemingly ordinary moments that can pause, slow down, and are full of life-giving is what I hold closely.
I am grateful to read Trina's interview with Paul. His story reminds me of the possibility of using analogue tools to work with them, so we can fully be present in life, and I am 100% on board with keeping our downtime sacred. A.C. shared how to handcraft a small book such as a zine. Doing everything by hand inevitably takes more time and effort, but I love how personal the experience of A.C.'s zines can be when their readers receive the hand-bound book. I also shared a video story from our Japan trip. It is about the perception of time, a concept I have been contemplating lately.
I hope this love letter lands gently in your inbox as a little memo to remind all of us to find serendipitous spaciousness in the least unexpected moments of our day.
-wakako
always a work in progress...
Topanga // October 7th, 2023
p.s. we are now taking orders for all 2024 dated planners/journals on our website. You can find them via this link!
**This is from our BK Love Letter for October 2023. If you would like to see the entire love letter we sent to our community, you can browse it via this link.
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