When I was in the early months of pregnancy with my son, I kept having dreams that there were hanging Japanese lanterns beside the bed. One time I awoke from the dream and literally saw them hanging there. (Perhaps what they call Lucid Dreaming?) Since I lived in the Los Angeles area at the time, it was an easy plan to go to the Japanese neighborhood and seek out those hanging lamps. But, never found them until the following spring when I went there to search for them again.
However, during that first visit, I found an enchanting little music box which played an authentic haunting Japanese song that I quickly came to love. I bought it and took it home. Often throughout the pregnancy, I listened to the song. I could sing the melody, but of course never learned the words. The beauty of the song is that it is has a calm peacefulness that brings the world to a quiet place for reverie. It is about springtime in Japan where the cherry blossoms fall from the trees like snow. They have a lot of Cherry trees in order to celebrate this very traditional important time of year. In my understanding of the Cherry Blossom Festivals, it is represenative of the beauty of life, and the short period of time in which to enjoy that beauty. So, it is important to stop and live it.
I searched YouTube tonight and found the closest rendition to what the music box played. I came up with a very traditional version and then found one that had a lovely rendition which included some anime. The visuals go nicely, with a surprise twist to the song and the visuals at the end.
