Lovely morning. Yesterday I took a bit of a diversion on my way home from work. I wanted to walk under the rows of cherry blossom trees in my neighbourhood. Thinking back to this time three years ago, I was under the blooming cherry trees with my friends, eating a delicious lunch, talking and laughing a lot.
And not only me, but many people around the world were scared of the invisible virus and what was going to happen in the world two years ago, and spent our days at home with little time to admire the beautiful cherry blossoms. This time last year, I really wanted to go and see the cherry blossoms, so I walked under the rows of cherry trees in the same way. There were many people there who were walking with the same idea in mind. And this year, I think there were even more people walking under the rows of cherry trees than last year. And even though they were wearing masks, it seemed like everyone had more smiles on their faces.
Our lives have become completely different from what they were three years ago, but I am reminded once again that from the chaotic thoughts and situations that we don’t know what to do, various people have made various efforts in various fields, tried various things, and when things don’t work out, they have spent their days thinking anew and reconsidering. I can’t help but think and feel grateful. And I can’t help but think how wonderful it is that even in this still unstoppable situation, all those people are still trying to move forward, step by step.
And as I walked along, admiring the cherry blossoms, I had the feeling that nature is always there beside us, sometimes making us afraid, but always kindly waiting for us.
We think we can live alone, but in fact we do not live alone. We are always living in some form or another, in the things that people have thought of and created for us, and in relation to various communities. It is difficult for each person to think about what they can do now, but if they can live to fulfil their own dreams, perhaps their hearts will become fuller and they will smile, and this will spread to the people around them, and this may become the power for everyone to live. And when the mind is a little restless, when it is shaken, it may be worthwhile to surrender to nature. Because we can feel with our whole body that we are part of this world and an important part of it.