The Foundations of How I Live

Words like good morning, hello, goodbye, thank you, itadakimasu (said before a meal), and gochisosama (said after one) are, for me, the foundations of living.

No matter how rich in knowledge or how gifted a person may be, if they have no willingness to meet another’s eyes and convey their own intent, or to lend an ear to another’s thoughts and feelings, it seems to me no more than a selfish one-person performance.

Work with plants, too, begins with facing the plant and letting our intentions pass between us: What do I want to express? What characteristics does it hold?—and so I try to communicate with it. And when we have managed to nurture together a new form and heart that I could never achieve alone, I grow warm with a feeling of gratitude—thank you—at the joy of having been able to respect each other.