Spring is here in Japan. It's signature scent, a combination of warm earth and water and baby green life, has returned.
The long-awaited sun and warm breezes have finally encouraged the sakura (cherry blossoms) to reach their pinnacle of loveliness. The girls and I spent Sunday celebrating their arrival with our Japanese buddies. We joined the throngs of people drinking beer and munching on snacks with their friends under the trees. I enjoyed the conversation at our gathering...yet, closing my eyes, I became even more content listening to the soft laughter drifting through the park. It is a joy to listen and watch people just be together in such a simple way.
As stunning as the sakura are in daylight, they are completely mesmerizing in the moonlight--so luminous, they glow. This evening, I walked home alone after eating out with some girlfriends--they were still game for some raucous karaoke but I was feeling quiet and introspective. I usually take a cab back to base but something compelled me to carry on by foot. The walk back to our apartment takes about 30 minutes. This evening, it magically seemed like three because my path led me underneath the sakura.
Gazing up at the moon through the resplendent blossoming branches, I felt completely at peace.
Although I wish I could have shared this joy with all of you I know and love, at the same time, I am completely aware that being alone in such moments is also a great gift.
Life can be sublimely strange.
3 comments:
I can truthfully say that the Sakura are among the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Unlike some of my family who are given to exaggeration I don not say that lightly.
After being tagged for this deployment many things went through my head and for weeks I worried about the details of making sure my family was OK. But one day I was walking home and I realized looking at the trees that I would miss their bloom this year. It broke my heart.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It made me feel a little closer to home and thankful for the memory of the trees and their lovely blossoms.
Tim
I ran through the blossoms during my race in DC yesterday-- they are lovely, and the scent is wonderful. I love that, in two different countries, we've enjoyed similar things.
I love that, too, blog buddy. How did the race go? I hope you had a beer under the trees when you were done.
Post a Comment