Tuesday, June 26, 2012

etegami as memory-keeper

"the 35th year"














the sun's #1 disciple
Our wedding anniversary comes at the same time each year, every year. (duh) Anniversaries are made that way, I guess, to help one not to forget (and these days my poor little gray cells need all the help they can get). That was a few days ago. This year, for the first time, I painted an etegami just for him. This year, for the 35th time, he gave me a bouquet of flowers. An etegami will last for a while, but flowers tend not to last very long. So I have made it my tradition to draw the flowers, or at least one or two flowers from among the bunch, as a keepsake of our special day. If I had been doing etegami back when I was raising my children, I could have marked their special days with etegami as well.

What special occasions would you mark with etegami if you could?



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26 comments:

  1. SadamiJune 26, 2012 at 7:56 PM

    Hi, Debbie,
    Congratulations! So sweet post & the etegamis. Have a wonderful day and forever.
    Best wishes,Sadami♫·.•ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

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  2. Laura BJune 26, 2012 at 9:30 PM

    So very nice. May you paint a tome of flowers.

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  3. origa-meJune 26, 2012 at 11:40 PM

    Gifts from friends, it is so easy to forget those little but important small gestures we receive from others almost every day.

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    1. dosankodebbieJune 27, 2012 at 12:49 AM

      So true, etegami make great thank you cards too.

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  4. ThérèseJune 27, 2012 at 3:40 AM

    As you so well say: something that sadly have to physically disappear. i.e. Nature. Recently when we were hiking in Ariège, we were stopping once in a while only to try desperately to fill ourselves with memories of the landscape in front on us. Pictures are never enough, etegamis could perhaps summarize the experience?

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  5. Carol BonomoJune 27, 2012 at 7:12 AM

    Wonderful, thoughtful post, gets me thinking about the potential of etegami as a sort of giveaway diary. hanks.

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  6. AHAviewsJune 27, 2012 at 3:30 PM

    Etegami would be perfect small things to create to send away - to mark moments of letting go, I think. A graduation, a kid off to school, an end of any kind (and there are so many every season of one kind or another - end of a relationship, end of strawberry season, end of useful life of your favourite shoes and all the dances they have led you...)- the creative effort put somewhere special - and then sent off, as etegami are meant to be. Perfect.

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    Replies
    1. dosankodebbieJune 27, 2012 at 3:52 PM

      "end of useful life of your favorite shoes" is an inspiring idea. I've actually received etegami from my Japanese friends on this very theme.

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  7. Christine H.June 27, 2012 at 9:04 PM

    End of life of your favorite shoes - I had never thought of that, but it is so appropriate.

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  8. jenniferJune 28, 2012 at 7:08 AM

    How beautiful! Best wishes on your anniversary. There are so many good ideas here for etagami, how about for moving on, like when a kid is leaving home for college the first time or you are starting on a new career...

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    1. dosankodebbieJune 29, 2012 at 10:19 PM

      Those are big events, eminently worthy of recording in etegami. :D

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  9. Matt MooreJune 28, 2012 at 6:01 PM

    This weekend I saw my zen teacher for the first time since her dharma transmission. (The ceremony in which she becomes qualified to ordain priests.) I gave her a picture of a leaf with the saying "a single leaf promises a green world."

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  10. Elizabeth Rose StantonJune 28, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    I adore the colors in this. What a beautiful, special remembrance. I like the idea of commemorating a beloved pet--either its coming or going :)

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  11. PerogyoJune 29, 2012 at 8:09 PM

    Happy anniversary! Thirty-five years of marriage should be celebrated, it's a wonderful accomplishment.

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    1. dosankodebbieJuly 4, 2012 at 3:05 PM

      The etegami was the extent of my celebration, but it felt like the right amount of celebration. :)

      Delete
  12. Midori YoshinoJune 30, 2012 at 2:06 AM

    記念日おめでとうございます。

    たくさんのひとたちに、お祝いされて、しあわせね。
    よい、記念日を。

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    Replies
    1. dosankodebbieJuly 4, 2012 at 3:04 PM

      今日、あなたの実家宛に絵手紙出したよ！

      Delete
  13. mimJuly 1, 2012 at 3:30 PM

    I love this post. I love your etigami

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  14. ikukoJuly 1, 2012 at 8:32 PM

    結婚記念日おめでとうございます。
    穏やかな良い一年となりますように。

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  15. aksapupaJuly 4, 2012 at 2:44 PM

    Congratulations on the anniversary!! :)

    With the help of etegami I would mark the new words that my daughter starts saying :)) yesterday she said "kar-kar" meaning the crow :)) *of course, "r" sounded her own special way that makes me smile each time I remember her looking around at the trees searching for the source of that sound :)))

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  16. MargieJuly 8, 2012 at 4:39 PM

    What a beautiful idea and congratulations my friend!

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