The Story of the Cherry Blossom Seed R. Colonna
Once there was a tiny Cherry Blossom seed that clung to a beautiful Cheery Blossom tree. Every day the seed dreamed of growing into a beautiful tree, just like the tree that gave him life.
Anxious to begin its journey, the tiny seed wiggled and wiggled, until it was hanging on to the tree only by a thread. Soon, the wind began to blow and the Cherry Blossom seed floated to the ground. "Now I will grow into a tall tree with beautiful pink blossoms for all to see."
Day after day, the tiny seed waited, but nothing happened. People walked and sat upon it, squishing the seed into the ground. The rain came and buried it deep into the soil.
The Cherry Blossom seed was not happy.
"It's lonely and cold down here. I should have clung to the tree. If I had known, I would have never fallen to the ground."
The tiny seed felt as though it was dying. "I'll never get out of here! " cried the seed.
Exhausted, the seed fell into a deep slumber.
After weeks, something unexpected happened. The seed's coat began to crack!
A transformation began to take place. Roots crawled downward, and a tiny sprout peeped its head out through the ground.
The little seed, now a tiny plant, could see the light of day.
The tiny plant that used to be a seed, grew taller and stronger everyday.
The tiny plant grew into a beautiful Cherry Blossom tree. Its branches spread out long and wide. They became a resting place for birds, and its flowers a joy for all to see. The strong, tall Cherry Blossom tree, once an insignificant plant, a wee sprout, and a tiny seed, lived happily ever after.
As the wise man says... Unless a seed is planted in the soil, it remains alone. But after a time of darkness, it will grow and produce many new seeds--a plentiful harvest of new lives.
In Japan, the cherry blossom is more than just a beautiful flowering tree. There are thousands upon thousands of cherry blossom trees in Japan, and each year the Japanese people closely anticipate and follow the blossoming of the trees. When the trees are in bloom, people come in large groups with their families and friends to view the flowers and to enjoy festivals with food, drink, and music. 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. When the cherry blossom trees bloom for a short time each year in brilliant force, they serve as a visual reminder of how precious and how precarious life is. So, when Japanese people come together to view the cherry blossom trees and marvel at their beauty, they aren’t just thinking about the flowers themselves, but also about the larger meaning and deep cultural tradition the cherry blossom tree.