Friday, March 25, 2011

In which the cherry blossoms bloom

So, babysitting Anya's still my only job, no one seems to be able to track down the guy who's following her, Theresa is recovering but still not quite in perfect shape, and I'm starting to get these really awful stomach cramps every once in a while. And yet, I'm feeling pretty good. Why?

Because the cherry blossom festival has started.

This is the first time that I've gotten to see them. Mom moved to D.C. during the cherry blossom festival last year, but I didn't visit her until the summer. And I figured it would be pretty, but I really wasn't prepared for just how gorgeous this city is at springtime.

Yesterday, I took Anya to a 'Stand for Japan' event that was pretty much a charity thing for the relief effort going on in Japan right now. It was really really cold and my California sensibilities caused me to not realize that my coat wasn't warm enough. And they started an hour later than they said they would. But it put a lot of things into perspective hearing people talk about the earthquakes and tsunami and nuclear plant issue. I can get pretty apathetic at times. I get so wrapped up in what's going on with my life, or my next writing project, or whatever that I forget what's going on with me. Which is awful because when I do pay attention, I'd like to think I'm a pretty empathic person. I really do try to help.

Lately, I've been worried about Anya, and my lack of a proper job, and how I flunked out of school while people overseas were dying. I can't really blame myself, though. It's a human thing to do and it's a crazy world out there. And I can't really do much, being in America and all. All I can really do is donate a ton, which I did after the speakers had finished.

When all the talking was done, we took a walk around Tidal Basin where most of the trees were. Anya didn't seem to want to go at first, since it was a long walk and I had accidentally given her a fear of trees. But I did manage to get her to go, and I don't think that either of us regretted it.

Those flowers were the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. I really suck at descriptions, so I feel like whatever I say will just make it sound silly. But it was about sunset when we started and the light was bouncing off of the clear lake while we were completely surrounded by white and pale pink blossoms. Some were low hanging, or dipped into the water. And there's just something about those trees. They are just so... hopeful somehow. And I felt like despite all the horrible stuff in the world, there would be an end somehow.

I think Anya felt it too because as we walked she began acting a bit more like herself. By the end of it she was running ahead of me, talking a million miles an hour and actually smiling for the first time in days. And she almost pushed me into the water. She can be a serious turd sometimes. The whole thing wore us both out, which is why I'm talking about all of this today instead of yesterday. I think that we needed that though. Everything has been so tense lately.

Then again, there are good reasons for that. Just this evening, I swear I saw Charles passing by Anya's house.

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