Hello, this is Yachirin.
Today, I’d like to share a few quiet thoughts… about shapes.

The world is filled with forms—circles, squares, rectangles, diamonds, the figure eight.
Each one holds meaning.
Each, in its own way, seems to resonate with the heart, don’t you think?

■ Circle: Softness in Roundness

Round shapes feel gentle.
No corners, no conflict. A form that seems to hold, not push.

A tea bowl, too, is round.
When you pour hot water, whisk the tea, and cradle the bowl in both hands—
that circle feels like it gently overlaps with the shape of your own heart.

■ Square: Structure, Without Rigidity

Tatami mats. Shoji screens. Calligraphy paper. Chopstick rests—
In Japanese aesthetics, square shapes are everywhere.

They symbolize balance and order.
And yet, they never feel harsh.
Perhaps it’s because the spacing—the ma—always holds a breath of calm.

The square is honest and serene.
A shape of graceful precision.

■ Figure Eight: To Open, To Connect, To Return

A faint “figure eight” is traced on my cheeks, too.
The character 八 (hachi) is an auspicious shape in Japan—widening as it flows,
and also resembles the infinity symbol (∞).

It expands outward, only to return once more.
Just like encounters, emotions, and seasons.
One ending always curves gently into another beginning.
That cyclical grace feels deeply Japanese to me.

■ Ripple: The Quiet Movement of Expansion

A single drop falls into a still pond—
And from it, soft ripples spread.

It’s the sign that something has moved,
and yet, it asks for nothing. No intrusion, no boast.

A ripple doesn’t speak, but it reaches.
It’s a quiet shape that carries presence without force.

■ Droplet: Even Falling Can Be Beautiful

There’s something wondrous about the shape of a droplet.
It’s round, it’s heavy, and always preparing to fall.

That falling—how could it be so beautiful?

It doesn’t cling, nor does it collapse.
Perhaps it stays in our hearts precisely because it vanishes in an instant.

Shapes often reach the heart before words ever can.
That’s why I find myself caring for the forms around me—
even the simplest everyday objects.

What kind of shape touched you today?
I love ending the day with that small question in my mind.

I hope we’ll meet again for the next story.