The light changed around the end of March.
Mt. Yatsugatake which had been seen sharply with a clear sky seems to be wearing a thin veil in a soft sunlight.
During the cold winter with repetition of snowfalls, a bit of melting and freezing, I had been weaving a kimono textile that had gradations of colour from beige dyed with cinnamon to off-white dyed with white magnolia, on which a splashed pattern was arranged.
Among traditional Japanese colours, there is light reddish-brown called “Koiro (scented colour)” which is dyed with a decocted solution of clove tree.
The dye made from cinnamon which has the similar colour with clove tree is also scented colour as the scent of cinnamon remains on the threads for a while.
It was “spring’ that I had been imagining while weaving those coloured threads in the harsh winter.
Now that I have finished weaving the textile and spring has come, I can see colours are beginning to appear here and there.
Outside the window or while walking and driving, I can see young baby leaves, and soft & pale colours of flowers & plants which make me feel somewhat light.
Recently, there have been a series of events at my daughter’s nursery school.
At the graduation/end-of-term ceremony held at the end of March, we saw off children in a senior class who took care of my daughter and played with her.
In addition, a nursery teacher who was slightly older than me and had been involved in the operation of the nursery for 16 years and watched children affectionately, retired for family care and decided to move to Kansai.
It touched my heart when she referred to her true feelings “I wish I could continue this job just a little bit more”
Sometimes we have to make a choice for someone and I presume it was very difficult decision for her.
I hope that her life starting from this spring will be filled with warmth and that someday I hope to see her coming back to children’s classroom.
There is another young female teacher who joined in the nursery last year, the same year my daughter joined.
She had just graduated from university and she seemed very nervous with tiny voice and it made me feel anxious unexpectedly.
However, despite such concern, my daughter frequently shared with me about how she spent time with her favourite teacher, using a few words that she could use; “Ms. ○○ made me Origami”, “I took a walk with Ms.○○”
At the end of term ceremony, the young teacher looked back the year and she was filled with emotion and broke into tears.
There may have been pressure for her as everything was new to her.
Then in this April when entrance/moving up grade ceremony was held, there I saw her in full of confidence and calling out the names of each child of her class lively.
It was completely different from what I saw a year ago. I was assured that the season went around.
If you live close to nature in Japan, the four seasons overlap with the cycle of human’s life.
The spring, when plants give off scents and colours appear, alludes to the beginning of something for humans.