Japan is famous for its beautiful Sakura in spring. However, not many know that each Sakura tree must fight a hard battle before it can bloom. I recently moved near Tama River in Tokyo and experienced it firsthand.
Many people say that the Sakura along Tama River is very beautiful. Photography is my hobby so I jotted down the forecasted bloom date which is April 1st.
Sadly, it continued to rain everyday even though Sakura can only bloom in warm weather. When April started, the weather was still cold and the Sakura trees were still withered so I had to cancel my plans to take pictures with my friend Narumi.
For the next few days I rode my bicycle to the riverbed everyday to see how the bloom progressed. First the buds started to appear, but the petals were still shy to show their slight pinkish color. Around the trees green grass started to grow lush and other flowers bloomed, so the withered Sakura looked out of place and made the scenery unsightly.
When some of the Sakura flowers finally started to appear, rain poured again followed by strong winds the next day. I was worried that the flowers will scatter before its prime time, but even though the branches were swayed violently by the winds, the Sakura trees stayed firmly on the ground.
In the end the wind subdued, and even though it was late by a week the Sakura bloomed magnificently. I went there with Narumi, and for me it was the most beautiful Sakura I had ever seen in my life.
Like how the Sakura blooms, everything in life needs time. Sometimes people only see the final result and don’t realize the hard struggle needed to achieve it.
Perhaps you are sick and must fight everyday just to survive. Or perhaps you are studying hard to achieve your dreams. You might be someone dieting and going to the gym everyday to get a healthier body. Or you might be someone whose business failed and must start from zero. Whatever your battle is, don’t give up and keep on fighting. Believe that like the Sakura near my house, there will be a time when you will fully bloom.
About the Author: Agro is a software engineer with photography hobby. His works can be followed in Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About the model: Narumi Ishikawa is a university student, artist, and environmentalist.