Plum Blossoms

For you avid, faithful readers, I'm sure this post title will evoke memories of my previous post wherein I attempted to put my thoughts on the Japanese affection for 'Sakura' to verse. Here, in the Land of the Rising Red Sun, the blossoming of the Sakura (Cherry) and Ume (plum) trees are visited with religious fervor. Right now, the Ume blossoms have JUST begun to hit their sweet spot. Kairakuen park in Mito is the third largest park in Japan, and I am blessed with living less than a couple of hours away from it. There are over 3000 ume (plum) trees in the park, and the ume groves are latticed with fine white pebbled paths, through which one can meander. The fragrance is gorgeous.. rich and heavy for a fruit, with bright and sweet overtones. You normally have to get your nose kind of close to really absorb all the layers of scent, but when a strong breeze comes by the whole smell fills your nose and lungs. Fortunately we visited on a sunny and breezy day, so it wasn't too cold, and we had occasional gusts of wind to give us that wonderful, surprising burst of plum blossom scent.

Quite possibly the best part of this experience (and at the least, the most powerful multiplier of the awesomeness of the day) was the sharing of it with my good friends Blake, Joanna, and Alison. We spent a great deal of the weekend together and even topped it off by doing a photo shoot together in one of those group photo booths at the mall. I have my copies of the 3cm tall pics in my wallet now, and don't plan on taking them out any time soon. It was a very memorable weekend for many reasons. As my time draws shorter, I find myself taking more pleasure and pain from my time with Blake and others here. More frequently, whenever I look at Blake or someone I have come to care about while in Japan, I am taken by the question, "How many more times will I see this person?" It is very difficult to not begin to dread the loss of things and persons we care for in tiny preemptive incriments. But, as Allie said to me this Sunday, "You can't start worrying about that now before its even a problem. That's just silly. You'll only let it keep you from enjoying being where you are... here and now." A good re-wording of Jesus' encouragement on the mount:

""Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:25-27, NIV)

Kairakuen Park ends on one side in a small cliff that looks out over a flat valley below. As you look out, you see another, smaller grove of ume trees, deep pink and white, and finely cropped fields of grass with forests beyond. As I was looking out over this I thought, "This is the Japan that I imaginied." A snapshot of beauty. Well-groomed fields and blossoming trees seen from atop small mountains. Its true. All of the picturesque things that you imagine about Japan really do exist. There are, actually, places and views on this island that you would think you couldn't see without computer generated imaging or a lot of photoshopping. It is impossibly beautiful at times.. but that's just it, its only at times that you get to see these beautiful sights. For the most part, you have to live your life at work, at your apartment, or travelling in between. You have to set aside time and seek out these special places because they are, in fact, special... and especially rare if you are averagely busy, which is a shame. I will say, the Japanese do take time to travel, and for that I respect them. Granted, they do it largely within Japan because the general native perception is that Japan is big and beautiful enough to keep you occupied. I'm partial to America and the rest of the world myself, but then, I'm in Japan as I type this, so I can't blame them. Why do we leave home? What's worth striking out for, seeking, and beholding? Do we leave home because we are dissatisfied.. to find something new, or satisfied... only to return and see it anew?

I'm still quite young, so I learn a dozen lessons a year that many of you have known for decades. I wonder if the learning curve ever really slopes back down? (Right now, m equals about .9 something.) I'll let you know if I find out. m won't equal undefined until we know even as we are known, and even then, I don't think undefined means unreal. Just, as of yet, undefined.