“Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.” ― Kakuzō Okakura, The Book of Tea

Dear friends,

A little over a month ago, I wrote about new details from Japan that we have added to Amayori’s packaging. On the blog I mentioned a hanko, or name seal stamp, that I had made in Japan to tell the story of the name Amayori – a combination of two Japanese names meaning night rain and beautifully fragrant.

This stamp serves as a memory to me of my first time in Tokyo. I had arrived in Japan frazzled and drained from my career as a real estate agent in New York City. One evening, my husband and I were roaming the dark quiet streets of Akasaka on a misty, balmy Sunday night. At that moment, something just felt right – as if all the stars were suddenly aligned. I had no idea of the huge life change I was about to experience, but something in my heart that had been hidden for so long told me that I was exactly where I needed to be.

I left Japan with a newfound mission of bringing the beauty of the Japanese bath experience to the Western world. Every time I look at this name seal I am reminded that the best is yet to come, to be patient, to listen to my heart, and to never forget the beauty that is ahead of us, no matter how lost we may feel.

It is with that inspiration that I am overjoyed to present our new labels which feature Amayori’s name seal. I hope that every time you pick up a box or bottle, you are reminded of the random beauty and magic of life – you are always walking towards your destiny – even when you don’t even know it. Just keep going and follow your heart.

All my love,