Lovely Things

A baby thumps across the floor on her hands and knees — something tiny catches her eye. She charges over to it and picks it up, marveling at her find. Then she shows it to each adult in the room, her expression asking them to share in her wonder.

Things That Make Me Fondly Recall the Past

Dried hollyhock leaves from the Kamo festival. Dolls I played with as a child. . . . On a rainy day with nothing better to do I go through old things — I find a love letter that years ago moved me deeply. Last year's fan. A night bathed in moonlight. . . .

Things That Pass by Rapidly

A boat under full sail. Age. Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter.

Scruffy Things

The back side of a piece of embroidery, the inside of a cat's ear.

Things That Make Me Happy

I'm delighted when I find that, after putting the scraps together, I can read a letter someone threw away.

People That I Envy

Though I started at dawn, by mid-morning the heat was rising and I was only halfway up. I was hot, tired, and felt thoroughly sorry for myself. Why should I go through all this trouble, I thought, when plenty of people donít go on pilgrimages at all? I sat down and felt so frustrated I actually started to cry. Just then a woman, who looked about thirty or so, came down from the upper shrine. "I'm going up seven times today," she said to the people on the path. "This is my third time; shouldnít have any trouble with the last four. Probably be down the mountain by two o'clock." . . . How I wished I could be a woman like her!

from The Lists of a Lady in Waiting:  A Portrait of the Author of the Pillow Book