day 31 - praising

"Praise, my dear one. Let us disappear into praising. Nothing belongs to us." 

- Rainer Maria Rilke

Praising is a way of speaking from the heart — of noticing what quietly sustains us and naming it with gratitude.

Specifically today, I offer my sincere praise to the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace for creating and sharing the 64 reflection prompts and support materials for the Season for Nonviolence.

I would not have ventured into sharing this creative meditation without the container they have offered. These daily reflections are deepening my understanding of nonviolence — or, in Sanskrit, ahimsa — revealing it not only as restraint from harm, but as a daily active practice of care.

Sunflowers symbolize loyalty, devotion, resilience, and hope. Turning continually toward the sun, they remind me to orient myself toward warmth, generosity, and joy.

Today, I offer this folded sunflower in gratitude — praise for those who create and hold spaces where peace can be practiced together.

day 30 - amends

Amends begin with acknowledging harm.

They are accomplished when we repair with dignity.

This emerald green heart reminds me that amends are, first and foremost, emotional and relational. They are about reestablishing trust and care. 

The pretty gold details echo the Japanese art of Kintsugi which honors what was broken by making the repair visible and meaningful. 

It says, we can't go back to how things were. 

We can go forward mended, changed, and more intentional. 

Today I'm practicing amends by asking, where can I make amends in my life in a way that adds care, not just covers cracks? 

What would that look like?

Heart Pendant - Fumiaki Shingu

day 29 - forgiveness

"Forgiveness is a reflection of loving yourself enough to move on." 

- Steve Maraboli

Forgiveness doesn’t erase what happened —

it allows something new to emerge. 

Once paper is folded, the mark remains, a memory held in form.

But sometimes a mistake becomes the opportunity for new growth, expansive and unanticipated.

Today I’m practicing forgiveness, not by undoing the past, but by allowing it to unfold differently.

Heart Pendant, Fumiaki Shingu

Double Leaves, Nana Takahashi

day 28 - listening

"I come here to listen, to nestle in the curve of a root, to hear the stories of the plants, that they might guide my own." 

- Robin Wall Kimmerer

Listening allows me to learn from the wisdom of others.

Last year, when our modern battery-operated seeder broke at the greenhouse, the work still needed to continue. The seeds needed homes where their roots could stretch. My boss needed the planting done on time.

I had heard stories from previous generations, when seeds were tapped directly from the glassine bags they used to come in.

So I folded a small traditional Japanese origami cup and kept going - tap, tap, tapping out more than 10,000 onion and leek seeds by hand.

It was a simple tool, but it allowed the work to move forward without frustration or force.

As I listened to the rhythm of my finger against the paper, I felt connected to all those before me who began gardens and meals in the same way - by listening carefully to seasons, elders, materials, and the needs of their community.

This little folded cup became a vessel for attention.

Today I’m practicing that same listening: hearing the stories of others, learning through their perspectives, and noticing how I might carry that knowledge forward to meet the needs of my community today.

day 27 - generosity

"Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness."

 - H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama

Generosity isn't limited to giving things.

Sometimes it's sharing time, or ideas, or joy.

The Maneki-neko welcomes good fortune - and reminds us that happiness multiplies when invited.

Today I'm practicing generosity by passing along a smile and a little good luck.

Big Lucky Cat by Kamikey on YouTube

day 26 - respect

"I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university." 

- Albert Einstein

Respect isn't about status. It shows up in how I handle and protect things, people, and ideas.

In origami, respect begins long before the first fold.

It is present in how the paper is chosen, how it is handled, and whether its qualities are allowed to guide the making. Some papers ask for bold transformation or intricate details. Others ask for simplicity.

This hexagon letter fold is made from a sheet of grassy, textured handmade A4 paper that waited quietly in my collection for decades. Nothing terribly precious - but certainly beautiful enough to deserve the right moment.

Now it serves by holding something meaningful: words of encouragement, and enough good loose tea for a shared pot.

The hexagonal form, known in Japan as Kikkō (tortoiseshell), symbolizes protection, stability, and longevity. Its strength comes not from force, but from balanced structure.

Good folding practice reminds me that respect, too, is a form of attention - to the unique needs of a person, a situation, or the material at hand.

Today I practice respect by handling words carefully and honoring boundaries — in paper, in people, and in myself, choosing care over force wherever I can.

day 25 - friendliness

"One who prevents you from meeting your destruction is your friend, mitra. Maitri is the spirit that compels your friend to be there for you; friendliness." 

- Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, 

Commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra 1.33 

Friendliness doesn’t require a big extroverted personality.

Sometimes it begins with simple approachability - with how safely we are able to meet what and who is around us.

“Trauma-informed spaces” may sound sophisticated, but they often begin exactly here:
not fixing or advising, simply offering presence and goodwill.

This origami model delights me because it mirrors that idea. From one square of paper emerge three figures: a heart, and two friendly cats side by side.

Three forms, one uncut square - a moment of single sheet origami magic.

Relationship.
Reciprocity.
Connection held at the centre.

Nothing added. Nothing cut away.
Just one sheet, transformed.

A reminder that friendliness unfolds not so much between us as through us.

This practice brings me a great deal of joy. Thank you, friend, for being here to share it with me.

Today I’m practicing friendliness by reaching out with something whimsical.
If you feel inclined, I’d love to hear - what’s bringing you joy today?

Pocket Heart with Two Cats, Kamikey on YouTube