Despite the current circumstances of our world, mother nature has gifted my town with some much needed sunshine. Last week, my mom and I decided to take our furbaby to North Park, our local park. We were expecting to take a peaceful nature walk, bask in the surprisingly warm weather, and let Jilly explore the variety of smells in the grass. Yes, we did experience all of the aspects we had hoped for, but we also came across a beautiful scene that lifted our spirits even more! While we were walking on the path, we saw a line of beautiful, soft pink Cherry Blossom trees next to one of the lakes. Unsure of where they came from, or why they were planted there, we wandered over to admire their beauty. I touched the soft petals, smelled the freshness of the flowers, and took some videos of their movement in the wind. Once we felt satisfied with the experience, we made our way back to the path…Â
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Once we arrived back at home, I could not stop thinking about these Cherry Blossom trees; I felt as if there had to have been a specific purpose for why they were planted there. A couple of days later, I began to see other images of Cherry Blossom trees in the city of Pittsburgh on various social media pages; my suspicions had been confirmed. I sat down and did some research on the emergence of these mysterious, wonderous trees in Pittsburgh. I found out, through the Pittsburgh Sakura Project website, that my city had begun to plant Cherry Blossom trees in various locations to promote friendship and positivity. The creators of this project wanted to showcase Japan’s unofficial national flower and bring their culture into the city during springtime. This symbolized friendship between the United States and Japan is shown through the planting and scattering of these peaceful trees. They wanted to “strengthen bonds within the local Japanese community by creating a focal point for cultural and personal exchange”; I had no idea that the few trees in my park had been a part of such a large, important project.Â
I have so much respect for this project and the message it brings to each person that comes across a Cherry Blossom tree in Pittsburgh. Especially during this time, it is so important to remember the power of friendship and unity; our world needs it more than ever. Although the scheduled dates for “viewing parties” have been cancelled, the public can enjoy the trees in various places around the city. I posted about the Cherry Blossoms on my social media before I educated myself on the purpose of this project; I wish that I had done my research before posting so that others could be made aware of the Pittsburgh Sakura Project and its importance!