What Sprouts in the Heart Around Xiaoman #My24SolarTerms

The sky is high, and the breeze is gentle.
Days that make me want to say "gogatsu-bare" (fine weather in May) continue.
It is as if the snow falling just two weeks ago was a lie; everything has changed, and it has become comfortable.

May 21st is Xiaoman, the eighth of the twenty-four solar terms.
I actually didn't know the word Xiaoman.
When I looked it up, I found it refers to the time when all life begins to fill up.
"Filling up" does not mean complete, but rather in the middle of growth.
It is a season when crops begin to grow steadily, and one feels a sense of relief.

After learning the meaning, I looked closely at the surrounding scenery, wondering what I was feeling during this time.

Water has been let into the rice paddies, and the surface of the water sparkles, reflecting the sunlight.
Thinking about how the work of the farmers, who have been preparing since the snow was still deep, has reached this point and is heading toward rice planting, my thoughts turn to the "invisible time" of the usual rural landscape.

While looking at the scenery, I realize that it is not just nature that represents the seasons.
Things I have worked on steadily.
Things that, even if not yet achieved, are gradually changing shape and beginning to show their outlines.
Moments when I notice changes in my feelings.
Words that describe the seasons begin to overlap with the way we live.

Around the holidays, there were many things I had to clear up, and my mind didn't feel clear; it was as if I were carrying something heavy.
Work after the holidays was busier than expected, and I was exhausted every day.
It wasn't just work.
Things I want to write, things I want to create—none of them were progressing well.
Even so, I decided to keep touching those fragments little by little rather than doing nothing.
Not giving up, and trying not to stop my steps.

What I thought about at New Year's suddenly crosses my mind.
"To give shape to my aspirations through play, and to create with my own hands"

That was it.
When the year began, I promised myself that I would not give up on the things I wanted to do and work on them.

Since I started writing articles about the twenty-four solar terms, following the changes of the seasons has become the rhythm of my daily life before I knew it.
By writing, the number of friends who enjoy the same season has gradually increased.

The time spent quietly preparing during the winter and the frustration of spring, I think now, were all part of the accumulation.

Now that I have reached Xiaoman, that accumulation is finally beginning to fill up in a small way.
It is still far from complete, and I don't know what the final form will be, but there is something that is certainly growing.
I want to continue to cherish that "beginning of fullness" with my friends.

I am writing about the twenty-four solar terms.
May 21st is Xiaoman.
Anything is OK, such as things about the season, daily life, memories, or photos.
#My24SolarTermsPlease post with the tag.

I will register it in the magazine.
I am introducing articles written for each solar term together.