Writer Island Visits the Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival
Writer Island Visits the Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival
It was not our first Writer Island meeting, but it was our first “destination conference.” At the Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival, Kate and I enjoyed being physically present with fluffy pink blossoms and sunny blue sky, but we also talked as hard and fast as we could. There are never enough hours in the day to talk with my sister, and this day, we had some very important conversation in which to indulge: the intricacies of the plot of our latest beta reading project!
Thankfully, Valerie’s Bearded Companion served as our chauffeur, so we did not have to pay the slightest attention to the road as we discussed. I have a slight wistful feeling that I may have forgotten some of our brilliant light bulb thoughts. (Note to self: make more written notes when having awesome discussions about beta reading with Kate.)
I expected that we’d be the first visitors at our early arrival time of 10:00. This was not at all the case, but thankfully we were prepared for a day of walking, beginning with a bit of a hike from our on-street (free) parking spot toward the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park.
Like most of you, I sometimes avoid crowded events because I don’t enjoy the noise and jostling that we often encounter among the mass of our gathered fellow humans. But I was pleasantly surprised by the chill vibe in the Buffalo that day. The crowd was gathered with intention to appreciate, to allow space and grace for their companions, friends and strangers both, to soak up this shared experience.
So, Kate and I became (slightly) more silent as we appreciated the pure beauty of fully blossomed cherry trees with the gentle breeze just beginning to shatter the occasional bloom and broadcast the pink petals like celebratory spring glitter. We participated in the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, a term which here means: the appreciation of the fleeting moment of beauty found in that which is natural and imperfect, represented by the falling petals. In a culture that increasingly values that which is symmetrically plastic, artificial, unmarred and youthful, it is restorative to the mind to gather with those who aspire to value that which is best appreciated with meditative calm in this present, passing moment.
Fittingly, since the beauty of nature’s moments cannot be bought or sold, the Festival is free. In fact, the Buffalo History Museum is free that day as well, with doors flung open to frame the beauty of the day, live music from the portico drifting indoors. Nestled among the local artifacts, we discovered artisans. We learned about bonsai, mizuhiki (intricately knotted paper cord), origami, and temari (gorgeously embroidered toy balls). My Bearded Companion wore a delighted, boyish smile when he discovered Kiki and Totoro toys for sale. It’s a rare moment when we bump into our favorite anime characters in real life. We appreciated photography and paintings of the cherry blossoms and other natural views. Especially delightful was the opportunity to observe artists painting en plein air, and practitioners of tai chi and meditation engaging in their practices outdoors.
We concluded our day out by picnicking with our feet nearly in Hoyt Lake, enjoying people watching and dog watching along with our tasty treats (Kate will now forever refer to dried mango as “mango jerky.”)
Does one need to drive out to a festival and find a city parking spot to enjoy spring blossoms? No, one does not. Certainly, do walk down the sidewalk of your own neighborhood and enjoy the view of your neighbors’ blossoms. Or take a moment to appreciate the landscaping in your grocery store parking lot, blushing pink petals against vivid blue sky. You will be alone, having a moment all to yourself, which is precious and lovely.
But, it is good to know that you are not truly alone. Passionate enjoyers, whether of fleeting natural phenomenon or of sci-fi franchises, otherwise known as geeks, have a way of acknowledging each other without exchanging a word, through clothing and accessories. Our hearts were delighted by the ladies in blossom-patterned sundresses, the men wearing pink button-downs to match the ethereal petals. On occasion, one must abandon one’s daily routine to be present with one’s geeky tribe. Kate and I stepped up this connection to our geekdom with an added layer of amazing sister connection. Unplanned and unplotted, we’d both acquired a gray blouse with a pink cherry blossom pattern. Our sisterly thrill in our matching geeky couture only highlights, in my mind, the importance of stepping away from our desks and finding our tribe, irl.
Why Japanese cherry trees in Buffalo, you might be wondering? While you probably know that cherry blossom viewing is phenomenon in Japan; and that the trees growing on the National Mall, a gift to the US from Japan in 1912, draw crowds every spring, you may not have known that Buffalo, NY and Kanazawa, Japan have been sister cities since 1962. Kanazawa gave the beautiful cherry trees to her sister Buffalo, just as my sister gave me a beautiful day with her this spring, wandering together among the flowering trees.
