Natshukashii – (adj): a warm, sudden feeling of sentimentality in which small things bring back some old, euphoric memories when one remembers the goodness and the fondness of that time.
I can’t deal with nostalgia the way we French do ‘the falling leaves … drift by the window …“. It depresses me to realise how times flies, even though I am at this delusional age where I think that everyone my age looks way older than I do.
So when nostalgia knocks a bit too hard at my heart, this is what I do: I focus on how blessed I am for the beautiful times and the precious souls that have crossed my paths. I can’t confine those feelings of love in my heart, I have tried, they make me suffocate. The only way to deal with them is to let them float around and share them by being extra mindful, extra grateful.
Since I have become a mother myself, I am cherishing the memories of my childhood, the family gatherings in my grand parents houses with all my cousins. The laughs, the shoutings, my grand ma’ so unique cakes and the hot chocolates .. My kids love the funny stories of this “old time” when their Mum and the Uncles were their age and doing so many stupid things to drive Papi et Mamie crazy ..
Imagine how divine it would be if we could capture the essence of our most precious times in bottles? tiny little vials to open in case of “need a hug” emergency.
We are not there yet, so in the meanwhile I am dealing with my nostalgic moments the “natsukashii” way. Lucky us to have memories to cherish! Lucky us to have the chance to offer even better ones to our children.
Estelea's Blog 
awww. thank you for sharing with us this technique of coping with nostalgia. ❤ ❤ ❤ indeed thinking of those little blessings is one of the best cure. ❤
My pleasure 🙂 at least it works for me!
Ce que l’on nomme avec justesse:”la nostalgie heureuse”.
Comme il doux de faire revivre ces jolis moments lorsque l’horizon nous paraît un peu gris….et je me souviens que mes enfants adoraient se plonger dans mes souvenirs.
Je crée le mythe de leur mere parfaite depuis déjà toute petite 😉 bizarrement ils croiraient davantage au père Noël …xxx
I’m a sucker for nostalgia, but I can’t dwell on it too long either or I get bogged down and can’t enjoy the present. (I, too, am convinced that I not only look, but act and feel and live, much younger than anyone else of my era! Ahh, the pleasures of self-delusion!)
Self delusion ? Says who ? 😳
“Natshukashi” that’s lovely…. Having kids definitely triggers our own memories of particular times, stages, events. I agree your techniques of focusing on gratefulness and mindfulness are the best antidotes to “too much” sentimentality.
Peta
Thanks dear Petra! Until we can travel back in time, the best antidote are those ones. Or /and being a great writer ! I ll stuck to the practice of mindfulness and gratitude 😉
Oh imagine we could actually bottle them up… how amazing would that be. But then I wonder… would we cherish those moments enough in the moment? If we can have it all the time things are not as precious anymore… kind of…
How about you can open the little bottle only once? not like a video you can play anytime anywhere .. So it would still be really precious 😉
Sounds good… you would consider if you would like to open it in that very moment…
Exactly …