The more precious something is, the harder it can be to let it leave our hands. To the girl, the morning glory is not simply a potted plant. She planted its seeds. Waited for them to sprout. Watered them every morning. Watched the vines climb higher. That is why leaving it behind makes her uneasy. But there are things we cannot keep in our own hands forever. At such moments, we can entrust them to someone else. Entrusting something does not mean letting go because it no longer matters. Often, it means exactly the opposite. Because it matters, we place it in the hands of someone we trust. Behind that act is a quiet message: “I believe you will take care of this.” But 預 also has another side—the person who receives what has been entrusted. When the morning glory passes into Grandmother’s hands, it does not suddenly become her plant. She has not been given it to keep forever. One day the girl will return, and Grandmother will be able to say: “Welcome home. I kept it safe for you.” That makes caring for something entrusted to us rather special. It is not ours. Yet we care for it as carefully as though it were. That carries responsibility. And what we entrust to others is not always a physical object. Someone may entrust us with a secret. We may be given an important responsibility. Someone may place a precious feeling in our care. At such moments, we receive more than what can be seen. We also receive the trust hidden behind it: “I believe I can leave this with you.” There is courage on the other side as well. Sometimes we want to watch over everything ourselves. Protect everything ourselves. But eventually there are moments when we must accept another person’s help. Then we say, “Please take care of this,” and open our hands. That too is an act of trust. Look at the morning glory between the girl and her grandmother. For one brief moment, both of them are holding the same pot. It is passing from one pair of hands to another. For that small moment, they support it together. Perhaps 預 lives in a moment like this. One person lets go. Another receives. And someday, it will be returned. What connects those moments is not merely the object being passed between them. It is trust. To entrust something is not necessarily to lose something precious. It can be a way of trusting another person through what is precious to us. And to accept something into our care is not simply to receive it. It is to hold someone else’s trust safely in our hands for a while.

One summer morning, a little girl arrived at her grandmother’s house carrying a travel bag. She was leaving with her family for a few days. But there was one thing she was worried about. “Grandma.” The girl carefully brought over a flowerpot. Morning glories were climbing its supports, flowers open to the summer light. Several buds had not yet bloomed. “Will you look after this while I’m away?” Grandmother held out both hands. “Of course.” The girl passed her the pot. But just before letting go, she hesitated. “Give it water in the morning.” “I will.” “But if it rains, don’t give it too much.” “I understand.” “And also—” Grandmother laughed. “If you’re this worried, perhaps you should take it on your trip.” The girl laughed too. “I can’t do that.” For a moment, they both held the pot between them. “Give it back when I come home, okay?” the girl said. “Of course. This morning glory is yours.” Hearing that, the girl finally let go. Her family was waiting farther down the path. She picked up her travel bag. But after taking a few steps, she turned around. Grandmother was still holding the plant. “Grandma!” “Yes?” “If a new flower blooms, make sure you see it!” “I’ll be watching.” The girl waved and ran toward her family. Grandmother placed the morning glory in a sunny spot beside the veranda. Just as the girl did every day, she checked the soil carefully. She had been entrusted with one pot of morning glories. But Grandmother knew that was not all the girl had left in her hands. She had also been entrusted with a small but precious thought: “I know Grandma will take care of it.”

Collecting this kanji brings these jukugo closer ✨