Cherry Blossom Reminders

As a Florida girl for most of my life, I was accustomed to beautiful beaches and outdoor scenery. But since I moved to Georgia earlier this year I’ve been treated to all sorts of differences in climate and nature!

One of the most gorgeous sights I’ve seen in recent days has been the blooming cherry blossoms. You don’t see those in Florida! The trees don’t even look real; each flower is so beautiful—only God could be the creator of them.

As we were driving my 10-year-old, Noah, to school not long ago, my husband and I were commenting on this especially striking tree. We had passed it every day for months and never noticed it until all of a sudden it seemed that the blossoms just burst magically overnight.

We continued to admire it for a few days on our trips to and from school, when Noah noticed that in a very short amount of time, many of the blossoms had already fallen to the ground.

Now only two weeks later the branches are looking sparse. There are only a very few pretty blooms left. In what seems like an incredibly short amount of time the once thriving splendor of the flowers is gone. One can only imagine that in another week, it will look completely barren and unassuming as it had all those many months we completely ignored it.

And it happened so quickly.

I researched the average lifespan of a cherry blossom, and found out that there were several variables that could affect it, but generally a healthy tree should bloom for 2-3 weeks. So truly there is a very small window of opportunity to relish the beauty of the cherry blossom trees.
It reminds me of many things in life, and brought to mind the urgency to really soak in all the many blessings God gives us every day. When I get frustrated with the rowdy behavior of my sons, I need only to remember that just yesterday my 10-year-old was a toddler just learning to walk and talk. I blink my eyes and my three-year-old isn’t a baby anymore; but now a self-professed “big boy” who is about to start soccer practice in a month.

The only thing that is consistent in this life is change. Fortunately, the cherry blossoms are still blooming in many places around town. And for however long they last, I intend to soak in the sight of them and enjoy the beauty of this specific part of God’s creation.

I also intend to let them serve as a reminder to appreciate all the blessings in my life—all the precious relationships, experiences and opportunities that come my way each day.