Miyako’s Mood Board: What Matters Most?

May 05, 2014

Every Monday, MM.LaFleur’s designer Miyako Nakamura ruminates on what’s inspiring her this week.

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Last week, I spent many moments thinking about the importance of being present. I love this series of MM.LaFleur brand images for many reasons, but one is that the woman seems so present. You can feel the story behind every image, and there is a feeling of melancholy that makes her life seem even more beautiful and precious. To me, it’s as if she’s living the perfect Sunday.

I love this idea of the “perfect Sunday.” To me, it’s a day that, little by little, moment by moment, overwhelms you with beauty and emotion. On this day, the right things seem to happen at the right time, as if it’s all planned by some larger force. At the end of the day, you feel as though you lived a full lifetime’s worth of emotions and beauty, and you think: “Wow, today was perfect.”

For some reason, these types of days always happen to be Sundays for me. Why? I think it’s because there is a sense that your weekend—your moment of happiness and freedom—is coming to a close. With the end of that moment comes a hint of sadness—that melancholy “Sunday feeling.” In a way, it adds to the beauty and preciousness of the moment. Knowing that something is ephemeral makes it even more valuable. It brings perspective.

During a meeting last week, our team member Anila shared her grandfather’s wisdom and brought me to tears. He used to tell this story to teach his family perspective:

Before saying a word, Ajahn Chah (a buddhist teacher) motioned to a glass at his side. “Do you see this glass?” he asked us. “I love this glass. It holds the water admirably. When the sun shines on it, it reflects the light beautifully. When I tap it, it has a lovely ring. Yet for me, this glass is already broken. When the wind knocks it over or my elbow knocks it off the shelf and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ Because when I know that this glass is already broken, every minute with it is precious.”

There is something in the air that is telling me to focus on the present, rather than fear the unknown. I am not quite sure if I truly comprehend that everything will eventually disappear, but I do know that I should cherish this moment. Right now matters the most. Right now, I see beauty. I have a feeling there are many perfect Sundays to come.

– Miyako