Theme reveal --by the skin of my teeth!

Drum roll please....

So, after wondering about going theme-less, as I've done in the past, I'm binding myself to a theme this year.

This will be my 5th A to Z Challenge.

I owe the A to Z a lot. This challenge helps me to focus. You see, the five months preceding April are my gardening months and when I'm with my plants and pots, nothing else matters. Blogging goes into hibernation but as soon as March arrives announcing the A to Z, it propels me to dust off my blogging cobwebs and wills me to sit and write.

Last year's posts got a lot of love from the readers. One such reader is an illustrator. He liked my posts about my childhood so much that he and I ended up planning a picture book together.

We met weekly on zoom calls as he's based in India, and I'm in Doha. Seeing his illustrations of my memoirs is thrilling and humbling. When one's words reach another in this way, it feels really special. The book is almost ready to show to publishers. 

A couple of  months ago, while I was browsing our local book store to figure out where to position our picture book, I noticed 'The book of Ichigo Ichie' sitting in the poetry section. Something made me pick the book up and read the first two pages. I bought it and brought it home.

Quoting from the book (authored by Hector Garcia and Francese Miralles):

The meaning of ichigo ichie is something like this. What we are experiencing right now will never happen again. And therefore, we must value each moment like a beautiful treasure.

Covid19 and its aftermath has shown all of us just how important valuing each and every moment is. 

While seeking inspiration for the forthcoming posts, I decided to rummage through the images I'd captured in 2019 when we'd travelled quite extensively. What struck me was that the chance, the coincidence, the magic, the moment that some of the photos had captured couldn't have been planned or prepared for. These were chance meetings, the coming together of so many elements that had even one been out of sync, the picture wouldn't have happened.

The concept of 'Ichigo Ichie (pronounced itchy-Go itchy-A) is the theme of this year's A to Z for me.

So, come along to this space on the 1st of April and join me for a month long celebration of chance that is intrinsically bound in moments as unique as you and me.

This year, I hope to share more photos than I did last year. Hanging a carrot for those who find me too verbose;)

Looking forward to April with hope.

Be safe and healthy.