I’ve been planning to have a picnic under Cherry Blossoms trees for some time now. Yet, despite all the planning, nothing went the way I’d hoped. For example, the friend who was supposed to meet me at the park was running late and then canceled. I left the storybook I had plans to read at home. My phone had only 9% of battery, so at a point, I had to say goodbye to the music that I was playing to entertain myself. Low battery also meant no more social media.
It all felt pretty hopeless at first, but then something happened. I spread my pink blanket across the grass and lay down on my back. I stared right up into the beautiful sea of pink fluffy cherry blossoms that crowded my view. There, surrounded by its beauty and the rhythmic sounds of tiny creatures in the grass (which surprisingly didn’t make me panic), I enjoyed an amazing sense of peace.
Somewhere amidst it all, I felt myself surrender. It was a beautiful feeling. I took a deep breath—the kind where you actually see your chest lift up—and I breathe out. There has been so much going on, so much I feel like I’m drowning. In this moment, I could care about nothing else for a second. I could admire the beauty and sounds of nature, the birds I couldn’t see but hear, and the sweet peace I felt. It’s amazing to think that this may not have been possible if everything went exactly the way I planned it—that’s a lesson to remember.
The earth is full of God’s Glory