This last week has been gorgeous in Minnesota, a striking contrast to last week’s -15 actual temperatures. After what had seemed like months of harsh weather and overcast days, even the heartiest among us had begun to falter.
One evening when the wind was especially cruel, I had the opportunity to hear a famous Chinese musician, Zhao Jiazhen, perform at the Loring Theater in Minneapolis. She plays the guqin, a 3,000 year old instrument, enriched in its reflection of Chinese culture and history. One song that was fittingly added to the set list was inspired by the plum flower which is known to thrive in winter. To think that such a seemingly “delicate” plant has the fortitude to not only withstand the cold, but also has the courage to produce flowers in the midst of a snow storm is breathtaking. Coincidentally, that same week a good friend called to share a quote that just so happens to parallel the beauty of the plum flower:
While the difficulties we face might be chilling and overwhelming and while we may want to give up, somewhere hidden within us lies our resiliency ready to bloom.
***For some truly incredible photos of the plum flower blooming under a blanket of snow, check out photographer Shi Chen.***
Wow you have just increased my ELK, and those pics are breathtaking!
That was such a fun night! I felt like we soaked up so much culture in such a short period of time.