{"id":29971,"date":"2024-09-30T20:15:07","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T20:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=29971"},"modified":"2024-10-01T00:02:09","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T00:02:09","slug":"94-years-of-wisdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/94-years-of-wisdom\/","title":{"rendered":"94 Years of Wisdom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, I flew to Massachusetts to visit my 94-year grandmother in the hospital.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let me tell you about this amazing woman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Barbara, Auntie B, or Gramma to us grandkids, was born in 1930 to first-generation Newfoundlanders.<\/span><\/p>\n

(No wonder I love the music of<\/span><\/i> \u200b<\/span>Alan Doyle<\/span><\/i>\u200b<\/span><\/a> (and<\/span><\/i> \u200b<\/span>Great Big Sea<\/span><\/i>\u200b<\/span><\/a>), it\u2019s in my DNA!)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Gramma was a preschool teacher for 22 years and has been an active member in her community for her entire life. She was a heck of a quilter and helped launch multiple quilting initiatives over the years. She volunteered at the Council on Aging. She often drove for Meals on Wheels too, \u201cdelivering meals to the old people\u201d (as she called it), which she did well into her 80s!<\/span><\/p>\n

During past visits to Massachusetts, I would swing by Gramma\u2019s for an afternoon, habitually checking my phone, often distracted with some unimportant work thought that occupied my brain. I think having known her my entire life, I just had this thought \u201cGramma has always been here, and Gramma will always be here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, I stumbled upon an ancient Japanese concept that helped me recognize and course correct this pattern. It allowed all of my recent visits with Gramma to be decidedly different.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ichi-go Ichi-e \u4e00\u671f\u4e00\u4f1a<\/b><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a concept dating back to Japanese tea ceremonies in the 1600s called ichi-go ichi-e:<\/b><\/p>\n

This translates to: \u201cone time, one meeting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a reminder for us to treasure and embrace each unrepeatable moment in time. No matter how often we do something or see somebody, it is the <\/span>only <\/span><\/i>time that it will truly happen <\/span>this way, <\/span><\/i>in <\/span>this moment.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

This concept can remind us to be more present.<\/span><\/p>\n