I know! I know! Miss "You Should Take Advantage of All the Cool Stuff We Have in DC Most of Which Is Free" Erin, doesn't go see the cherry blossoms in person. I also don't have anything to do with the Cherry Blossom Festival. I'm a monster.
I love cherry blossoms. Their abundance in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia for those new to the Island), is one of my favorite things about living here. Cherry blossoms are the harbinger of spring for most of us in the region. People come from all over the world to see the trees along the Tidal Basin. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the largest tourist events in DC. We go on blossom watch in early March, and discussions of peak bloom are all anyone can talk about. Blossoms are a big deal.
I used to go. I would go at least twice, once during the day and once at night. The experience is better at night. The lights and the stars and less crowds - perfect. I stopped going about 5 years ago. Like everything in DC, getting to and from the Tidal Basin is a hassle. If the weather holds and peak bloom goes as planned, it's super crowded. So I stopped going, and started watching it on the bloom cam and stalking cherry blossom photos on Instagram.
This year was going to be different. I planned to go see the blossoms in person and rekindle my love of the Tidal Basin and the festival. One of my co-workers was planning a trip to Japan to see the blossoms there and we planned to share photos. I was ready, tracking peak bloom and planning my trip to the Tidal Basin. It was going to be a whole day and a fun "DC Day" post here on the Island. I was set.
Of course, peak is right when we're in the middle of stay at home orders and social distancing. My plan to see the blossoms in person was foiled completely. Here in DC, the National Guard has been called in to help the Park Police keep people out of the area. It's bananas.
I get it the need to go see the blossoms. People are trying to find comfort in the things that they normally get to experience in their lives. Cherry blossoms mean good things. The trees at the Tidal Basin were a gift from Japan in 1912, planted by First Lady Helen Taft. The cherry blossoms are a symbol of friendship between the two countries. We celebrate the festival while similar festivals are being celebrated in Japan. It's a beautiful tradition, one that shows us the beauty of global community and the tradition of hanami (flower watching). Considering our current situation, having something that ties us to people around the world sounds so good and uplifting. However, we all know that the best thing for us right now is to stay home.
I started taking walks in my neighborhood after work. I moved into the condo in December, so nothing was in bloom at the time. I was hoping that some of the trees, particularly the one in front of my building would be some type of flowering tree. My first real walk in my neighborhood was on March 18, and I discovered something wonderful.
Cherry blossoms!
There are three trees at the front of my neighborhood by the community entrance/sign. There are smaller trees around the four courts that make up the condo community. If I keep walking past my part of the neighborhood to the townhouse community behind my street, they have a little park like area that has more trees and a bench, overlooking a little creek. There are also a fair number of dogwood trees, which makes sense given that the dogwood is the official state flower of Virginia. The trees in front of my house? Redbud trees! This is my favorite type of flowering tree. I was looking forward to seeing the one at the office bloom this spring, but of course, I work at home now. What are the odds that there would be two right in front of my house?Earlier this week, I was out for my afternoon walk and got a message from a co-worker over text. I replied as I walked around the neighborhood, trying to help this person through some things over text (which isn't ideal, but that's how life works right now). I was struck by the difference in my current experience and theirs; I was walking around my neighborhood observing social distancing, but still out in nature. They were in their house, not able to go out much because of more restrictive stay at home practices where they live. I asked if they wanted to see a picture of the cherry blossom trees in my neighborhood, and got the most emphatic "yes" a person can send through a text. I sent the picture. They appreciated the beauty of the tree, the pretty pink of the flowers, and the calmness of nature.
After my conversation with my co-worker, I went back inside, washed my hands, and changed my clothes. I got on my laptop out and went to find the video I saw on Twitter from a Japanese musician who was supposed to be part of the Cherry Blossom Festival this year. Naotaro Moriyama is a pop singer from Japan and he sang the most beautiful song called "Sakura."
Here's the translation of the first part of the song:
I promise you I'll be waiting for you
Till the day that I can see you
Once again
You see the cherry blossoms blooming all around
It's time for us to say goodbye
You stayed so strong even when times were hard
I remember you were there smiling for me
When I was so close to giving up all of my dreams
You gave me hope to stand on my feet
As I look around everything just fades away
Whenever I close my eyes, I hear that song
SAKURA, SAKURA Now they are blooming all around
Even though they know sooner they are coming to the end
Say goodbye, all my friends, and I see you once again
I promise you that you will always be in my heart
It's not easy for anyone right now. We're all dealing with unprecedented personal and social change. Stress and anxiety is high no matter what. As I wrote a few weeks back, I'm experiencing a lot of flashbacks to my life back in New Orleans after Katrina. It's not the same at all, but there are a lot of parallels I've found. When I was texting with my co-worker, I shared my number one tip for not going crazy in high stress situations: stop watching the news 24/7. Watch/read what you need to stay informed, but that's it. Focus on what you need to do to make this "manageable" for you and your family. Maybe a walk will help. Maybe self-imposed quiet time is the answer. I don't know everyone's life, but I do know this is not forever.
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| This is my redbud tree. Apparently, a mama bird is nesting in it. |
Next Week: We decide which tiger cult leader to follow with the only technique that makes sense: a pro/con list. Yes, we're talking about the Tiger King docuseries on Netflix. If you haven't watched it, please do so this week. I need you to watch this series. It's amazing.
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