Cherry Blossoms in Atlanta

Did you know that cherry blossoms are a living symbol of friendship?

In 1912, more than a century ago, Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo, Japan, gifted 3,000 cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C., in honor of the burgeoning friendship between America and Japan.

From poetry to art to lore, cherry blossoms, or sakura, have long been seen as a symbol of good will, well being, and friendship.

So when my two closest friends and I decided to form a sisterhood, it made perfect sense that the cherry blossom would represent us. The beautiful petals on this flower are among my favorite petals in the world, and T and J are among my favorite people in the world.

Our friendship, which had grown steadily over the course of many years, cemented during the surprisingly perfect and extremely simple road trip we took to Florida several years ago. On that trip, filled with laughter and lightheartedness, we realized that this bond we shared doesn't come along every day.

So we gave it backbone. Our sisterhood would be our compass, a wordless talisman that would remind us of who we are no matter what the world threw at us. It would keep our hearts close even when we were far apart, give us strength when we need it, and remind us that we can do anything we put our minds to.

Fast forward several years to when I saw a blooming cherry blossom tree near my house the other day. I decided to photograph it for my girls.

The blooming period on these trees is astonishingly short; literally, blink and you'll miss it.

But while these trees may be in the midst of one final hurrah before their blossoms fall for the season, thankfully our sisterhood is nowhere near that ephemeral. I pray that we always stay close.