Its the hiragana fro ame, the Japanese word for Rain.
The year after my Dad died, I read the Hagakure.
If you don't know it, its an interesting book, full of parables, stories of other samurai, musings on bushido, extra little tidbits like be sure to burn incense in your helmet, so that after your enemy takes your head and removes you helmet, he is greeted with a whiff of pleasant aroma.
Any way, I read this one pasage, which uses rain as a metaphor for all the shit that can happen in life. The idea that life isn't fair, and that all you can do is cowboy up and deal, there's no use getting upset over it, helped me get through the first few years, and started me on the path to the rather budhist world view I have now.
Just wanted to share.
