You don’t understand what the title means do you? That’s ok, it’s Japanese and even if you were a Japanese speaker, you still wouldn’t understand as it’s in the wrong alphabet.

It’s one of those words or phrases that have no direct translation to English.

It means an awareness of the impermanence of things and a sadness at their passing.

Also, a wistfulness that this is how all things are and a sadness it will all end.

To me, it’s one of those phrases that haunts me and I think of it regularly:

• I see it in the faces of those that have lost someone

• I hear it in the stilted conversations of old friends that no longer have anything in common

• I feel it when I return from a holiday or finish something I enjoy doing.

It’s similar in tone to other sayings such as:

• This too shall pass

• Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think!

  I’ll leave it at that, you know the rest. See, hear and feel the ‘mono no aware’ and double down on your efforts to enjoy it whilst it’s there.