HANA'S LITTLE LANTERN OF IKIGAI

In a quiet village by the mountains of Japan, there lived a curious and kind little girl named Hana. She lived with her grandparents. Every morning, she watched her grandmother light a small paper lantern by the window.

- By Zaida Marie A. Tambis

"Grandma," Hana asked one day, "why do you light that lantern every morning? Aren’t lanterns supposed to be lit at night?"

Her grandmother smiled gently. "It reminds me of my Ikigai, my reason for waking up each day."

"Ikigai?" Hana tilted her head. "What's that?"

"Imagine you have a magic circle that helps you find what makes you happy every day. Ikigai is a Japanese word that means your 'reason for being' or simply, what makes you excited to wake up in the morning!" Grandma handed her a tiny lantern of her very own. "Everyone has an Ikigai, my dear. You just have to find it."

The next morning, Hana set off to find her Ikigai. She carried her little lantern and wandered through the village. First, she met Kenji, the fisherman.