Last week, I had the extraordinary privilege of sharing a quiet cup of coffee with Glen S. Fukushima. To say I was honored would be an understatement. Here is a man whose resume reads like a blueprint for global impact: former Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan and China, two-term president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and vice chairman of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Yet, despite his towering achievements, Glen made time for someone like me. That gesture alone speaks volumes.

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Continuing last week’s theme, the book "The Lantern of Lost Memories" invited me to think about the memories I might want to relive and take with me on my journey to the afterlife.

In the book, recently deceased souls enter a photo studio where a guide invites them to pick specific photos that represent key moments in their lives, one for every year lived. The pictures then get assembled into a lantern and lighted, so that the souls get to relive their most cherished moments as they move on to the next stage.

Last week I joined an online seminar by GLOBIS University - Graduate School of Management on Compassion-driven Leadership. It was a powerful reminder of what is really important in life. When I studied at GLOBIS 10 years ago I had Tad Wakasugi (the main speaker in the seminar) as a teacher, and I vaguely remember some of what he taught back then but when he mentioned Ina Foods and the 100-year calendar I felt like I was suddenly back in the classroom as this is one of the cases we studied!

Writing about remembering loved ones in Japan reminded me of visiting my husband's family's ancestral graves close to the city of Kamakura and being struck by a special place in the same cemetery to commemorate pets.

One of my favorite aunties passed away last week, and as I'm far away and not able to go to the funeral service I started thinking on how to best honor her passing. Then I remembered a funeral service I attended in Japan, and I wanted to share the thoughful way these things are done over there.

A few weeks ago I shared a story about treasuring a Hinamatsuri set I received from a dear friend, as this day is celebrated on March 3rd (today!) I wanted to share some more details about the festival itself.