The closing ceremonies of the Tokyo Summer Games were particularly moving this year. The host city perfectly captured the spirit of coming together despite global challenges. I always get weepy when the flame is extinguished. There are few opportunities in life to witness the transitory in such a tangible way. The athletes, their triumphs and disappointments, and the culture of the host city will never intersect in the same way ever again. These moments only exist in a two-week span. Like a hike through a forest or a stroll along a beach, no two moments will ever be duplicated.
The Closing Ceremonies exemplified the Japanese culture of celebrating the beautiful in a simple moment. In the story leading up to the extinguishing of the flame, a mother leads her children to gaze at the sky. They point out constellations, smiling as they share with each other. They anticipate what is next, looking to nature. The flame slowly goes out, the petals of the cauldron slowly close in circular bands until the cauldron is once again a perfect sphere. The memory of the flame is safely tucked inside. The woman and the children curl their hands into a ball, symbolic of prayer, peace and gratitude. All is as it should be. It is an ending, but a symbol of how in nature everything cycles from one state to the next. You never know how much time you have in a place, or with loved ones, but there is comfort in knowing life flows in nature’s pattern.