Walking with My Body | To the Me Who Is Changing Little by Little

Recently, I have noticed that things feel a little different than before.

Like feeling tired after a string of busy days at work.

Or finding it hard to get up the next morning after staying up late.

Or wanting to take a breather somewhere if I pack too many plans into my days off.

Compared to when I was younger, these are truly small changes.

But I believe my body is certainly starting to change little by little.

Things that were fine before have become just a little bit less fine.

At times like that, I end up comparing myself to who I used to be.

"I used to be able to do more."

"I didn't get tired from things like this in the past."

I sometimes think things like that.

However, perhaps that is only natural.

Even though it seems like we remain the same people, we are actually changing a little bit every day.

My body, too.

My heart, too.

My life, too.

The people I meet, too.

The things I want to cherish, too.

We live our lives while accumulating changes without even realizing it.

The other day, I was watering the flowers in the garden.

Slowly, while bathing in the morning light.

The flowers that bloomed in spring had changed their appearance, and other flowers were beginning to bloom.

Before I knew it, the season had moved on to the next scenery.

At that moment, I suddenly thought.

Flowers do not lament their own changes.

Spring flowers do not try to become summer flowers,

and summer flowers do not try to return to spring.

Each one blooms while accepting its season.

Perhaps we are the same.

When I was young, I had the radiance of youth.

The physical strength to work recklessly hard.

The time to talk late into the night.

The momentum to dive in without fearing failure.

All of those were wonderful times.

But now, I have come to see a different view.

Being able to stop before pushing myself too hard.

No longer comparing myself too much to others.

Being able to find comfort in quiet time.

Being able to notice small happinesses.

I feel like I can see things now that I couldn't see when I was younger.

That is why, lately, I have decided to welcome change just a little bit.

Of course, there are days when I feel bewildered.

There are days when I feel like I get tired more easily.

There are days when I am surprised by the person in the mirror.

But perhaps that is not so much about losing something,

as it is about being in the middle of entering a new season.

Life is not a straight line; it is like the seasons.

There is a warm spring,

and a summer of vigorous growth.

There is an autumn of harvest,

and a winter of quiet preparation.

Every season has its meaning.

Every season has its beauty.

And the me of today has a view that belongs only to the me of today.

Lately, these words have been coming to mind.

To change is not to lose, but to meet a new version of myself.

Once I was able to think that way, I felt a little more at ease.

I like the me of the past, too.

Because I worked so hard back then.

Because I have been lost so many times.

But I don't dislike who I am now, either.

Although I have become a little more cautious than before,

I feel like I have become a little kinder than before.

There are surely seasons I have yet to know waiting for me ahead.

So there is no need to rush.

There is no need to compare myself to anyone else.

I just need to walk at a pace that is right for me now.

Just as the flowers in the garden change how they bloom with each season,

I, too, intend to keep walking while layering on changes that are uniquely my own.

To the me who changes little by little.

I look forward to our journey ahead.

Thank you for reading until the end today.
I would be happy if we could meet again during our time of "Walking with My Body."

Yufu