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“Always smiling quietly.”
Kenji Miyazawa
Translated for this article from “イツモシヅカニワラッテヰル” in Miyazawa’s “〔雨ニモマケズ〕.” This is not an official English translation.
You spoke a little sharply this morning.
You were busy. There were reasons. Still, your own voice keeps replaying in your mind: “I could have said that differently.”
Do not make smiling another obligation
The poem also expresses the wish to become such a person.
My own reading is not that we must smile regardless of how we feel.
Some days are difficult. Grading our smiles on those days would only add another burden.
Instead, I want to hold the image as somewhere to return when I have lost my patience.
One sharp moment does not have to define the day
We cannot remove what we said, but we can add something different.
“I sounded harsh earlier.”
“I was rushing. I’m sorry.”
“Could you tell me again?”
The other person may not respond warmly straight away. Even so, we can take responsibility for how we speak next.
Begin with gentleness, not cheerfulness
Answer carefully. Let someone finish. If you are tired, say so rather than forcing a conversation.
We do not need to be entertaining or endlessly upbeat to treat others—and ourselves—with care.
Today was not perfectly calm.
The next sentence is still yours to choose.
Quotation and poem source: Aozora Bunko: Kenji Miyazawa, “〔雨ニモマケズ〕” (Japanese).
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