Hinamatsuri

Hinamatsuri, also known as girl’s day, is celebrated in Japan on the third of March.  It includes a display of dolls & other items which are symbolic of the holiday.   The placement goes in a specific order beginning at the top tier and going down to the bottom level.  Hinamatsuri focuses on marriage & families & is representative of Japan’s hopes & values for the future.

I worked for nine years with a wonderful Japanese woman & one year, she invited the office ladies to participate in a girl’s day celebration.  She had set up her display, cooked traditional Japanese foods & shared with us through music & dress, a piece of her history.

When we left at the end of the evening, she gifted each of us with an African Violet.  My violet is now 13 & I’ve nurtured it to stay healthy.  The violet is a reminder of a wonderful friend & someone who cared enough about her co-workers to share a story about her life.

I’m in the process of rooting some babies & I am seeing progress.  I want this memory of a special friend & her friendship to never end.  We all have a story to tell.