As some of you may know, my daughter had been in the hospital for several weeks. She’s a soccer goalkeeper and broke her femur while playing (yes, she made the save). Her injury entailed extensive surgery plus numerous weeks of rehabilitation.

Early one evening, I arrived at the hospital, tired, stressed, and sad. As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a small group of medical professionals had gathered in the lot. Thinking there was a medical emergency in the lot, I looked closer at the gathering. I suddenly realized that there was no emergency; they were simply taking a moment to appreciate the numerous cherry blossom trees that had bloomed in the parking lot.

I joined them for a few moments. As I joined them in looking at the beautiful blooms, I could almost feel the stress leaving my body. A few minutes later, now with a smile on my face, I walked into the hospital.

Sometimes, we just need to take a moment to appreciate the cherry blossoms.