Episode 5: An Eggplant Horse for Milky-Obon, Memory and Ikigai

A few days before Obon, I bought an eggplant at a market here in Far North Queensland. It wasn’t for dinner. I wanted to make a little horse for Milky Boy, my beloved cat who died during Obon in 2023.

Traditionally, an Obon horse is made from a cucumber and an eggplant becomes an ox. Mine didn’t quite follow the tradition, but making it gave me a way to remember Milky and reconnect with a part of my Japanese culture from far away.

In this episode, I reflect on why we create rituals, where our love goes when someone is no longer physically with us, and how remembering Milky helped me notice the life I share now with Princess and Sachi. It’s also a story about ikigai in small places: memory, belonging, love, and even an eggplant with four little legs.

Listen to Episode 5 below. If you’d rather read the story, you can also visit my Obon reflection on the blog.