before we talk about the cherry tree, let me just tell you what my morning reading was today. first i dipped into "why i wake early" by mary oliver (a gift from a reader of these blogs). then i moved on to "the message of the psalms" by walter brueggermann. the poetry was just for the fun of it. the book on the psalms was because tonight i need to lead a discussion on psalms 73-78 at my small group. . . and i often wait until the last minute to prepare for such opportunities (but that's a topic for another time).
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yesterday when i came out of church there were kids playing in a cherry tree that was just beginning to bloom. (i can't recall the name of this variety of cherry tree, but i hope one of you who knows the tree will share the variety in a comment.) even though i've been a member of this church for awhile, i'd never really focused on this particular tree before. now i don't know how i could have missed it!
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my old church used to have a tree of the same variety planted by good friends when their young daughter died. for many years i enjoyed seeing kids climb that memorial tree, and one year i even gave the parents a poem i'd written about how the kids playing in the tree was a gift/sign of God's love sent by the young daughter and God. since then that cherry tree has been a special symbol of my friendship with these folks.
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last year that memorial cherry tree at my old church had to be cut down to make way for a new building. i've been missing the tree ever since. . . and in this blooming season i've really missed it a lot. so yesterday it seemed like a special gift from God (and my friend's daughter who died before i met her) to see kids playing in this cherry tree at my new church.
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a few of the other plants that speak to me symbolically include gardenias, camellias, daisies, and lilies of the valley. what plants have special meaning for you? and why?