Amazing Grace by Mae Grace

Scentimental Spring

Ah! The first day of spring! The buds are all waiting to break through so that they can become the beautiful flowers that they are meant to be. Everything in spring reminds us that life is always getting reborn, we are given second chances, or we start another circle in the spiral of life. Ahh, who doesn’t love spring?

Take a walk and take photos along as you go, or take quiet meditations as you gaze at the beauty around you. Remember, even the weeds are showing off such beauty that will blow your mind away. Have you ever wondered how the dandelions appear to imitate the golden glow of the sun?

Open your eyes to hundreds of varieties of these cherry blossoms that we all love. If you only knew one kind, take that challenge and start discovering species after species of Sakuras that can be found in parks near you. Commonly known varieties are the kawazu or the early bloomers. They are normally dark pink in color and their trunks are narrow and short. The someiyoshino are those that we know so well by now. You would see them lined up in endless rows. The shidares are the cascading variety, and are considered of great beauty.

Finding one may not be easy but they are worth the sight. Para silang mga diamonds, rare and ethereal. Finally, the late bloomers that have double petals which we call Kanzan and similarly, the Yae Zakuras are so gorgeous they look just like a cheerleader’s pompoms made from nature.

Spring is for all the senses. Listen to the birds, excited na sila. Stand under a magnolia tree, and you would wonder where that lovely scent is coming from, so intense and yet, so heavenly. The sakuras are more subdued, you need to bury your nose deeply inside the flower to breathe in its mild scent.

But I will tell you a secret. Hindi pahuhuli ang aking tanim na Sampaguita. It has now grown a lot of new buds and flowers that made people around it take a double step looking for the source of that heavenly scent coming from its wax-like blooms. Spring is for the soul, that seeks its joy after the cold and quiet of winter.

Mae Grace

Jeepney Press