Quality over Quantity

This might be a rather strange title for this blog entry. But here is the thing, lately I have seen tons of photos with sakura (the cherry blossom), which is unofficial symbol of Japan and the questions rose again : What is it that is so special about this flower? Why even the great poets and the alike get their inspiration from this flower? Why the constant excitement about hanami when people gather together under cherry trees.

I am not botanic(-ian), so I would not know great details but, this, at least to me, looks like a picture from your ordinary secondary school textbook.

So, the question "What is the big deal?!". If you look at this close-view, it obviously is not one of the most beautiful flowers, even the about the fact the tree is fully covered in the cherry blossom, it is not alone. Neither, I believe, is it alone in category that it blossoms for a short period.

So ... Why? Now, here is my opinion:

May be (told like Will Smith to his son in "Pursuit of happiness") it has to do with the idea of Quality over Quantity as it does not stay for too long and thus is expected for some even with anxiety and also enjoyed, cherished and even loved. The law of economics(?) of scarce and in-need things being more valuable?


May be it has to do with both Quality and Quantity or the fact that the short period it is there happens so rapid and yet so full complete and full. Even from the moment the green buds come out on the branches till the simple-yet-magnetic-thus-amazing flowers blossom and then fall making the area around it beautiful with white, pinkish with "snow flakes". So from the moment it starts to appear until all is well and gone, one just cannot miss it.

Maybe the same thing can be applied to people's life:

May be what some people say about not wanting to live too long if one grows old and weak and especially if sick and need lots of care etc., That is, of course, regardless of what the children has to say.

May be that is another reason to enjoy simple and beautiful things in life when and while we still can. That must be what Confucius meant with "Be sure to stop and smell the flowers sometimes".

That must be why some people who could live a life really their own even if not very long, who went against all the odds, sometimes even including the people around themselves, stayed true to themselves, enjoyed what they were doing, and thus made changes for/to the people, lives around themselves are remembered, reminisced over sometimes when it is in fact too late, missed, and even expected to be born again.

Just like sakura

Quality and/or Quantity.

Feelings

feeling of happiness
you get when you know you have been missed by the people who are also dear to you, when you haven't been "available", when you have not contacted them for some time, when you hear their excited sometimes-even-shrieking voice over the phone, when somebody gives you a wholehearted hug

feeling of recognition
you get when you realize time and time again that people are different, when it dawns on you once again that there is only so much we can do to try to make ourselves understood, when things turn out so different from how you expected, may be even carefully calculated

feeling of contentment
you get when you realize that the way you look at some things have changed so much over time, when you notice that the-you-before-some-time probably would not have had known how to even look at the matter at hand

feeling of excitement
you get when you meet someone new who seems to share some similar views about things, when you think of how you might connect and what adventures to enjoy as well as challenges to overcome together may lay ahead

the list could go on and on but ...



What it all comes down to is:

Regardless of what life brings to us, especially for the big part we bring upon ourselves, we do have the ultimate freedom to feel the way we want to.

it is all about feelings...

So why not feel as realistic yet as positive as possible