Morning sunlight streams in,
and beneath a wide blue sky,
the forest welcomes a morning so warm
it makes me pause in surprise.

In the heart of winter,
this gentleness is comforting—
and yet, at the same time,
it makes me think ahead
to the heat of the spring and summer to come…

Since my son is home from abroad,
we go to visit the family grave.
We greet his beloved grandfather.
(Though we ourselves were here just at New Year.)

After that, we stop by a relative’s house
and talk over tea about how our lives have been lately.
The sweet-and-sour pickled green plums my aunt made
were served with the tea—
their balance of tartness and sweetness was just right,
and they were truly delicious.

Even without any particularly big stories,
it sinks in quietly
how calm and gentle
each of our lives is.

When I was younger,
this whole sequence—
from visiting the grave
to making the rounds of relatives— to be honest,
felt like quite a bother.

But as the years have passed,
even if it isn’t often,
I’ve come to feel the importance
of seeing one another
once or twice a year.

Being able to meet each other in good health
is a blessing.

Back home,
I finally strain the persimmon vinegar
I prepared back in November.
It turned out well again this year.

I don’t think I can ever go back
to store-bought vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar is fruity and mellow.
Persimmon vinegar has a sharper acidity—
it tastes unmistakably like vinegar.

Just by leaving it alone,
vinegar comes into being.
That alone somehow makes life
feel a little richer.

There are things that take shape if you simply wait.

As for the apple cider vinegar,
I wasn’t able to start it last year,
so I’m thinking
I’ll make it now.