Start sowing seeds of resilience

She Said ~

“… Why should a land have so much meaning

When dark times befall it?

It’s only land, made of dirt and rock and loam

It’s just a place that’s familiar

And home’s just what we call it

But there’s no place like home

Don’t we all know

There’s no place like home?”

Spring is emerging and with it a longing I have never known before. As colors burst through the hardened wintry ground I am bewildered. As if taking flight for the very first time, I feel unsure and unsteady. 

In an empty attempt to make sense of it all, I turned to the tool that defines it all, the dictionary. What is the definition of HOME?

According to Webster’s Dictionary – one’s place of residence, the social unit formed by a family living together, a familiar or usual setting, a place of origin.

I have given a great deal of thought to the meaning of the word home lately. I have spun the word around, turned it upside down, twisted it about and flipped it inside out, and I am still confounded.

Is it a place made of brick and mortar? Is it a haze of memories, here today and gone tomorrow? Is it the old and familiar sights, smells, and sounds which greet us at the door each day? 

Can I ever go back home again?

I suppose, I am feeling a bit nostalgic these days. I am longing for the sound of my mother’s voice singing along with the radio. I am recounting the exact number of steps from my bedroom door, down the stairs and into the living room, where inevitably she sat looking out of the window.

I am waiting to hear her excitement as the first signs of spring emerge. I am eager to take the mandatory drive through Branch Brook Park to marvel at the cherry blossoms.

I am longing for our customary dates consisting of shopping, many times merely window, lunch, and meandering home. 

I am hoping to glance down at my phone and see Mom is calling. I am craving our daily conversations and her laughter and her love. I am conjuring up her voice and advice because it feels like a lifetime since I have heard it.

I am recalling her laughter and jovial demeanor.

I am leaving the light on each night for her because that is what she did for me.  

There is no place like home.

He Said ~

After a long winter being cooped up indoors, the arrival of spring makes us eager to welcome the outdoors inside. As the weather warms up and nature comes back to life, infusing your home with springtime elements is an inviting way to celebrate. Opening your windows to let in fresh breezes can make you feel more alive and connected to nature. 

And, nothing wreaks of spring more than the blossoming of the ripest red fruit, to breathe new life into the world around us after winter’s slumber.

The tradition of celebrating the blooming of cherry trees in Japan is centuries old.

The planting of cherry trees in Washington DC originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship, to the People of the United States, from the People of Japan.

In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or “Sakura,” is an important flowering plant. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a symbol with rich meaning in Japanese culture.

For more than a hundred years, we have celebrated cherry trees blooming in solidarity.

Cherry blossoms symbolize renewal, the impermanence of beauty, the fleeting nature of life, the essence of the moment, and much more in Japanese culture. 

In China, where cherry blossoms originated, Sakura represents femininity and love.

In the United States, the National Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Washington, D.C. from mid-March to mid-April every year. Typical events include an opening ceremony, parade, kite festival, pink tie dinner party, and performances galore.

Cherry blossom festivals are held in many cities around the world.

It is nearly impossible to predict the peak bloom more than 10 days in advance. What is the peak bloom? It is the day when 70% of the cherry blossoms are open, providing the most spectacular blooming.

Peak is heavily influenced by the weather, which is why it is so difficult to predict far in advance. Warm weather leads to an earlier peak, cool weather leads to a later peak, heavy rainfall will bring an end to the beauty abruptly, and late frosts can prevent the trees from blooming at all. The earliest recorded peak bloom in Washington, D.C. was March 15 and the latest was April 18.

Remember, Sakura symbolism connects us with mindfulness and encouragement to live in the present. Let us all pay respect to these aspirations and start sowing seeds of resilience.

“Our spring has come at last with the soft laughter of April suns and shadow of April showers.”

Did You Know? One of the oddest annual traditions on the modern calendar falls on the first day of April, otherwise known as April Fools’ Day. Although the tradition is certainly an oddity, it’s stranger still that no one is exactly sure where April Fools’ Day comes from. Some historians think when France moved to the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century, those who still celebrated the new year in April, (having not gotten the memo, wilfully or otherwise, about the calendar change), were labeled “April fools.” Others have tied the tradition to an ancient Roman festival called Hilaria, which took place in late March, along with many more theories. A more modern version of April Fools’ Day took root in 18th-century Britain before evolving into the day we now know.