“It is spring time now! While the world looks for a new war to fight, you look for a cherry blossom to watch! Let the stupid seek the violence; you seek the elegance!” ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan

Many people flocked to High Park this last week to revel in the beauty of this year’s spectacle of cherry blossoms. I’m sure war or anything close to it was far away from the minds of these nature lovers. They were moved physically to get there and moved within themselves by the beauty they felt there. Nature’s beauty has the power to hold us captive by just being present to it. However, some weren’t happy to just see this beauty. Through the magic of photography, they wanted to take some of it away. I was one of those present.

Photography is a medium, a language, through which I might come to experience directly, live more closely with, the interaction between myself and nature. ~ Paul Caponigro

The blossoms of Springtime bring us the joy of new life. After a long winter, we are hungry for each and every sign of life around us. Every little shoot we see in the soil brings us joy. While winter and all the seasons have their own beauty, the cherry blossoms of spring have to be my favourite. By the droves of people I saw at the park, it must also be the favourite of many others.

**Look at the cherry blossoms! Their color and scent fall with them, Are gone forever, Yet mindless The spring comes again.**
**~ Ikkyu**

High Park’s cherry blossom trees were a gift to Canada by Japan’s Ambassador. In 1959, two thousand sakura trees were given. Among the many visitors to High Park are many Japanese people. In Japan, when the blossoms are in bloom, they have picnics under the trees, take photos, and take part in all kinds of revelry. This is called Sakura Hanami. It’s nice that we can be a part of this Japanese tradition right here in Toronto.

This couple may be newly weds taking pictures with the cherry blossoms. They had a photographer along with them.

The significance of the cherry blossom tree in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. In their country, the cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It’s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. ~ Homaro Cantu

Due to their short bloom time, Sakura blossoms are a metaphor for life itself: beautiful yet fleeting. You’ll realize when you’re as old as me to hang on to the good times because they won’t last forever. ~ Shannon Mullen

While we admire and enjoy the cherry blossoms in Spring, it’s interesting that we can take away a valuable lesson about life from viewing them. Their beauty and their time is limited. This is the same with human beauty and our human life span. The last two above quotes speak to this lesson.

My last thought on the lesson of the cherry blossoms (Sakura) comes from a song I used to hear sung as a younger person and still remember the words to. Here it is and hope you enjoyed my cherry blossom photos!

Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think
Enjoy yourself, while you’re still in the pink
The years go by, as quickly as you wink
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think

“O that I had sleeve enough to cover the wide sky! No wind should then take the flowers that blossom in spring.” (The Tale of Genji)

Another visual treat of the cherry blossoms can be found below. Ronald Janki, of Simply Spectacular Designs, put this together. Enjoy!