As I walked the town yesterday evening and this morning I was struck by the huge banner hanging in front of Printing and Engraving that proclaims:  Celebrating the gift of trees.

Yes, that’s what this town is doing – celebrating the gift of cherry trees.  It’s been 100 years since the gift was received and this season has seen an unusually early bloom and a very short bloom because of the heat.  Still it is exquisitely beautiful and not hard at all to celebrate.  I’ve been trying to capture the beauty with my camera so that it will be a constant reminder of a gift given once that keeps on giving – for 100 years.

What other things in our lives must we celebrate?  Certainly there are other gifts as well that merit our celebrating.  We can start with the gift of trees and go from there.  Each one is a grace to be remembered and honored with grateful celebration.