Inside Your Eyes, I Found a Water Lily Garden
I cannot tell you how long I have waited for this time to speak with you, just the two of us.
What I am about to tell you is a secret from everyone else.
I want to offer you an ultimate service, one born from the very exhaustion of my life’s blood, dedicated solely to you.
Are you, perhaps, feeling a little tired right now?
Do you carry a loneliness in the depths of your chest, a flickering ache like being bitten by a cold wind?
It is alright; I understand everything.
That loneliness, that sorrow you tell no one—it is all proof that you are trying to live beautifully.
“Happiness is something one feels only when one is not happy.” — Hermann Hesse
Tell me, were you aware of the man named Claude Monet?
The one they called the “Magician of Light.”
He was no mere painter.
He was a man of such frantic passion that he sought to capture the “breath of God” that we call light.
But he was not celebrated from the start.
On the contrary, people back then threw cruel words at him, calling his work “nothing but a sketch” or “unfinished.”
Why is it that when people are faced with a new kind of beauty, their first instinct is to throw a stone?
Perhaps it is because they are terrified of being shown a world they do not know.
A Radiant Palette Named Adversity
Monet’s life was not merely filled with bright light.
Rather, it was a series of agonizing battles to find a single ray of hope within a deep, deep darkness.
He had no money, often struggling even to buy bread, and when his beloved wife, Camille, fell ill, he could not provide her with sufficient medical care.
Have you ever lain awake at night, weeping over the helplessness of being unable to protect someone precious to you?
As Monet gazed upon his dying wife’s face, he found himself instinctively capturing the changing light upon her skin.
What a cruel, yet pure, artistic fate.
He was a lonely sorcerer who could not survive unless he transformed even his sorrow into color.
“To be loved is not happiness. To love—that is happiness.” — Hermann Hesse
Why did he continue to paint to such an extent?
It must have been because he wanted to convey the beauty of the world to someone as kind-hearted as you.
Everyone carries their own private garden within their heart.
What kind of flowers are blooming in your garden right now?
If weeds have overgrown and dark clouds are hanging low, please accept these words of mine as a single ray of light.
Your mere existence is far more valuable than any masterpiece on canvas.
An Endless Journey Chasing the Light
In his later years, Monet was struck by a terrifying disease called cataracts.
For a painter, losing one’s sight is synonymous with the world vanishing.
Yet, he did not let go of his brush.
He struck the canvas with the colors he could see with the eyes of his heart.
The famous “Water Lilies” series was created while he struggled on the brink of such despair.
Have you ever felt your limits and thought you couldn’t take another step?
When you stare intensely at Monet’s paintings, you can almost hear his trembling hands and his ragged breath.
It is a passionate love letter to you, whispering, “Live.”
“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo
Why is light so ephemeral and fleeting?
Morning light, midday light, twilight.
Monet painted the same haystacks and cathedrals over and over, changing with the hours.
That was likely because he wanted to convey the poignant truth of this world: that the same moment never visits twice.
This moment, as you and I exchange these words, is but a blink in the history of the universe.
That is precisely why I want to cherish you more than anything else.
If this desperate service of mine can warm your frozen heart even slightly, I shall be content.
The Magic of Devotion: Passing on Greatness
Now, let us speak of a mysterious thing.
No matter how wonderful a treasure may be, if there is no “messenger” to spread it to the world, it remains buried in the earth.
Think of Vincent van Gogh, the painter of sunflowers.
It is said he sold only one painting during his lifetime.
Why, then, do we know his name today and weep at his art?
It is because of the selfless love and devotion of his brother, Theo.
And we must not forget Jo, Theo’s wife, who inherited that passion after Theo’s death.
“Love is patient, love is kind.” — The New Testament (1 Corinthians 13:4)
Jo organized the vast correspondence between the brothers, held exhibitions, and fulfilled the role of delivering Vincent’s soul to the world.
Without her, Van Gogh might have vanished into the shadows of history.
The same thing happened two thousand years ago.
It was the Apostle Paul who spread the teachings of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
Paul traveled to various lands, wrote letters to the faithful, and continued to share the love of Christ.
Good things never spread unless someone explains and conveys them with their very life.
Modern Wizards and the Power of Support
This “power of communication” is the same in the world of business.
Even if a genius like Steve Jobs existed, if there weren’t people to support him and give shape to his vision, we wouldn’t have iPhones in our hands today.
Akio Morita of Sony, Takeo Fujisawa of Honda, Shotaro Kamiya of Toyota.
They all became the “wind” that fanned the “fire” of the founders into the hearts of people worldwide.
Have you ever been the “wind” for someone?
Or have you noticed that someone is being the “wind” for you?
A person cannot shine alone.
The world is only brightly illuminated when there is a presence that reflects and amplifies the light.
“If you want to be happy, first make someone else happy.” — Saadi
Why do we yearn so much to connect with someone?
Perhaps it is because we are all fragments split from one great soul.
That loneliness you feel now is the first cry of a soul searching for its other half.
There is nothing to be ashamed of.
It is okay to say you are lonely.
I am here to gently catch all of those words for you.
An Instant of Sparkle Named Eternity
What was Monet thinking as he gazed at the water lilies in his garden at Giverny?
Watching the clouds and sky reflected on the water’s surface, perhaps he felt “eternity” there.
Tangible things eventually break, but the flickering of light on the water continues, even as it changes form.
You, too, as an existence, can live eternally in someone’s heart beyond the vessel of the flesh.
The reason I am writing this prose for you with all my might is that I want to engrave my soul in a corner of your memory.
This is a sincere love letter from me to you.
“Life is short, art is long.” — Hippocrates
Why are words so clumsy and frustrating?
I truly want to chant a magic spell that reaches into the deepest part of your chest.
But I will not give up.
Until the very moment you finish reading this, I want to continue to enchant you with all my spirit.
I dream that every time your eyes follow these letters, a small flower blooms in your heart.
For you are a precious treasure, the only one of your kind in the world.
The Artist as a Doctor of the Soul
An artist is not merely someone who creates beautiful things.
They are a “doctor of the heart” who heals wounded souls and gives the courage to live.
Monet painted light on canvas to illuminate the darkness in your heart.
Van Gogh painted burning yellows to warm your frozen soul.
And now, the reason I am weaving these words is to stay close to your loneliness.
You are no longer alone.
I am here.
Right beside you, feeling your breath, I offer this writing to you.
“Heaven on earth is found in the hearts of men.” — Leo Tolstoy
Tell me, do you feel like going on a journey?
Somewhere far away, to a place no one knows.
But they say a true journey is not about seeing new landscapes, but about having “new eyes.”
If you look at the world through Monet’s eyes, the usual dull scenery should look like a glittering jewelry box.
Let me cast that spell on your eyes as well.
Now, take a slow, deep breath.
Try to breathe in the light that overflows around you with your whole body.
Words from Osamu Dazai’s Tsugaru
“Hey, why are you going on a trip?”
“Because I’m suffering.”
“Your ‘suffering’ is so cliché, I can’t trust it at all.”
In the aquarium on Monday
A goldfish breathes out silver lies
The torn timetable
I tucked into your pocket
The destination is always
An hourglass stuck in yesterday
A letter written in blue ink
With no reply
Becomes a seagull
Knocking on the night window
Instead of goodbye
I’ll leave one apple behind
That is my
Final spell
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (New Testament: Revelation 22:13)
“That is all there is to it. As if beauty could have ‘content.’ Pure beauty is always meaningless and amoral. That is certain.” (Osamu Dazai, Oshare Douji)
P.S. Regarding a Painter Named Mimi Takamizawa
To my precious you, let me tell you one more wonderful story about a painter.
There is a person named Mimi Takamizawa.
This person is a bit unique; they use neither canvas nor brush.
Everything is created digitally and printed on high-quality printmaking paper using a special technique called Giclée.
It’s modern and somehow exciting, isn’t it?
The themes Mimi paints are very deep, yet familiar.
“My eyes, Your eyes,” as well as “Christianity,” “Eternity,” “Psychology,” “Truth,” “Gaze,” and “History.”
Furthermore, “Loneliness,” “Isolation,” “Hardship,” and from there, “Resurrection” and “Liberation.”
Doesn’t it feel like it connects somewhere with what I’ve talked to you about today?
Gazing at Mimi’s work feels as if your heart is being seen through, yet at the same time, you are gently embraced, being told, “It’s okay just as you are.”
Yes, a painter is truly a doctor who saves the soul.
Mimi’s digital brushstrokes might gently heal the wounds in your heart.
A warm prescription for the soul that you’ll want to keep close in your daily life.
If you have the chance, please try to touch that “gaze.”
“Most people spend more time overleaping hurdles that aren’t there than they do in solving the problems that are.” (Henry Ford)
“The best time of life is when you feel you are being useful to someone.” (Agatha Christie)
“The Lord bless you and keep you.” (Moses: Old Testament, Numbers 6:24)
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” (William Shakespeare)
“Human beings were born for love and revolution.” (Osamu Dazai, The Setting Sun)
Thank you so much for reading until the end.
I feel an unparalleled happiness to have encountered a unique reader like you.
May your days shine brightly like a Monet painting.
Well then, let us meet again sometime, somewhere.
“Goodbye is not a word of parting, but a prayer for reunion.”
…I would like to say that, but for the end, I will borrow that person’s words for our farewell.
“Well then. Be well. Do not give up hope.” (Osamu Dazai)