Tag: christo

Isabel Swift: Cherry Blossoms–what’s it to you?

The cherry blossoms around the tidal basin in Washington, D.C. were a gift from Japan. Cherry blossoms symbolize the beauty and the fragility of life.  This shot combines a pine tree, which symbolizes long life, cherry and holly.  Holly symbolizes protection, so it all kind of makes sense….?

Some romance novels that have characters tied up in knots and unable to break free often have a crisis that challenges them to rethink their priorities, to realize that life is too short to hold back.  They, like the cherry blossoms, serve to remind us to remember to appreciate what we have before we lose it.

Some might feel that this should be contemplated solo, but really, it’s a valuable message for all, something worth sharing and appreciating  with others.

Some said the blossoms were “past their prime” but that just meant we walked on a carpet of petals.

The tidal basin edge was quite amazing looking, like a work of modern art:

There were buds, blossoms and new shoots not just from the twigs and branches, but emerging from the gnarled trunks.  Life popping out everywhere.

One of my favorite images–petals in the mud.  With the right eyes, no matter where you looked, beauty was everywhere.

OK, yes, these are NOT cherry trees, though they are lovely.  These formed the edge of the George Mason monument.  Who knew he was such an amazing guy?  Who knew he had a really lovely statue and garden? A treat.  And an example of why D.C. is so lovely in the spring–so many flowering trees.

This is just a glimpse of the WWII Memorial, in case you haven’t seen.  The Lincoln Monument you should be familiar with!

This was a special D.C. moment.  Total logjam with both car and foot traffic confused us until we realized someone more important than us (I know, hard to believe) was passing by.  Yes, that’s the presidentialmobil.  Obama was coming back from NYC.

That same day we went to the Smithsonian museum of American Art and saw an amazing show of drawings from Christo’s running fence.  Running fence existed for two weeks in September of 1975.  As you may know, the pieces are only up briefly, though they have taken years and incredible effort and cost to make happen.

Christo’s work is truly a statement of how, despite–or even because of–the challenge of the effort, we must all make the time we have something to treasure.

Overly philosophical?  Perhaps.  But true….