2026/01/02 15:44 up
【 English Available 】
Do you remember the scent of ink?
It’s funny, one tiny whiff and I’m a kid again, like my heart time-traveled without asking permission.
There’s something about the New Year that feels like opening a fresh notebook to page one. Clean. Quiet. Full of possibility. It makes you sit up a little straighter… just because.
Today is kakizome, the first calligraphy of the year. That calm, focused moment of holding a brush always pulls me back to childhood.
When I was little, we’d gather as a family every New Year and do kakizome together. We’d copy the sample phrases, or pick words that felt slightly too “grown-up” for us, because that was half the fun.
The ink in the air, the smooth whisper of paper, the little pauses before someone committed to a bold stroke…
And of course, at least one voice every year:
“Wait...you’re writing THAT?!”
Cue laughter, and someone pretending they totally meant it.
Looking back, it was such a warm kind of quiet. The kind that gently straightens out your insides.
…That said, I didn’t actually pick up a brush today.
Instead, I opened my yearly planner and started penciling in the big things—plans, dates, the “don’t forget this” moments. ♡
And from there, I made a list of what I want to do… and what I want to make real.
I’ve already been taking small steps toward a few of those things, and it reminded me of something simple but true:
tiny steps still count.
Stack enough of them, and you suddenly realize, oh. I’m moving forward.
This year feels like it’s going to be full… in the best way.
And honestly? I don’t think goals have to sound impressive. They don’t need to be something you show off, either.
Sometimes the sweetest goals are quiet ones, like:
“I want to laugh a little more,”
or “I want more moments that feel calm.”
Those small wishes might be the ones that change everything.
So tell me, have you chosen your goal for this year?
And if you had to pick one word for 2026… what would yours be?
