Ichi-go Ichi-e
Embracing the Unrepeatable Moments of Life
Ichi-go ichie-e is a Japanese proverb meaning something like, “one time, one meeting.” In our lifetimes, experiences, encounters, and opportunities only happen once. Life only happens once. The first time I learned of the phrase was in Japan during the summer of 2023. The summer I took the long way home. It wasn’t until a year later, that the truth of that phrase sank in and struck me harder than Shaolin hardening (story for another time).
It’s only in retrospect we even realize how unrepeatable moments can be. Things in life that happen in one particular way, never to be repeated.
The more time pases, the more the truth sinks in— the summer of Long Way Home trip was one of those unrepeatable moments. A unique opportunity that presented itself at a particular point in time. In no other point in time would it have occurred, other than the one it occurred in.
These moments can be as big as a life-changing trip, a time at job, or living in a specific place. They can be as small as an interaction with a barista, encounter with a stranger on the metro, or a deep conversation with a friend.
Sometimes the stars align in a particular way only once in a lifetime. We have to be quick to recognize the constellation as it appears, and run with it. Or else it will disappear just as quickly and we will be left wondering what could have been.
That doesn’t mean that magical things won’t come around again or that future stars won’t align. They will. But we must appreciate the singular moments as they happen.
The universe is vast and infinite. It’s full of constellations and arrangements of stars. We just see different ones at different points of our lives. The word, universe, means all things of all time, together into one. Our entire lives are a dichotomy of the infinite and the finite.
But as time slips through the multitudes of moments that make up our lives, we must remember to treat each as singular, unrepeatable moments.
If our entire existence is a one-time, one-meeting, we can only do our best to go through life by taking the long way home. Savoring each moment. Remembering every encounter with a friend or a stranger could be our last. It’s why we should treat each moment with the utmost care.
Life is fleeting, so shortcuts will only make it shorter. It’s why whenever possible, we should take the long way home.
This little story is an invitation. To talk with a stranger, break your routine, explore a new street, enjoy a coffee without rushing, lean into spontaneity, toe out of your comfort zone, and take a detour.
It can be a good thing to get lost, smell the flowers, and take the long way home. We never know when it could be our last. Ichi-go ichi-e.
😍🙏😍🙏😍
You’re such a magical human 🫶