Cherry blossoms and the value of impermanence

+ Trumpism's parallels to Hungary's slide into authoritarianism US Edition - Today's top story: Cherry blossoms – celebrated in Japan for centuries and gifted to Americans – are an appreciation of impermanence and spring [View in browser]( US Edition | 7 March 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [How ‘dark’ fishing impacts sharks and turtles]( - [Why Florida home insurance is a mess]( - [Laser weapons: Reality vs. fiction]( Lead story Living in New England where winters can feel long and bleak, I wait for the early signs of spring: the rhododendron on my porch is sprouting buds, rabbits and squirrels are out scampering in my backyard, and yes, of course, there is more light. For many cities – though sadly, not Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I reside – it’s also almost time for the cherry blossom season, with special festivals held in Washington and elsewhere to celebrate the bloom of the cherry tree. In Japan, people will gather under the cherry trees, known as sakura, in parks and gardens for a spring picnic. This celebration, brought to the U.S. from Japan with the gift of cherry blossom trees in the early 20th century, occupies a special place in Japanese culture. Scholar of Japanese literature Małgorzata K. Citko-DuPlantis writes how an imperial court [organized the first cherry blossom viewing]( in the early ninth century, and in the ensuing years the trees became an indispensable element of Japanese culture. But the blossoms are short-lived. Part of the joy of the gatherings in Japan, Citko-DuPlantis explains, is witnessing their fall and appreciating “impermanence.” In nature – as in life. [[The latest from the the world of philanthropy and nonprofits. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Giving Today.](] Kalpana Jain Senior Religion + Ethics Editor/ Director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative Families relax under lush cherry trees in the Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo. shankar s./Flickr [Cherry blossoms – celebrated in Japan for centuries and gifted to Americans – are an appreciation of impermanence and spring]( Małgorzata (Gosia) K. Citko-DuPlantis, University of Tennessee The first cherry blossom viewing was organized in Japan by Emperor Saga in 812 C.E. In the ensuing years, poetry on cherry blossoms came to have a special place in Japanese culture. Economy + Business - [How Florida’s home insurance market became so dysfunctional, so fast]( Latisha Nixon-Jones, Jacksonville University Florida home insurance premiums have shot up threefold in just five years. 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Would a country led again by Trump embrace similar antidemocratic politics? Ethics + Religion - [What is a frozen embryo worth? Alabama’s IVF case reflects bigger questions over grieving and wrongful death laws]( Katherine Drabiak, University of South Florida Alabama’s case began when three couples sued an IVF clinic where their frozen embryos had accidentally been dropped. Education - [A Barbie dollhouse and a field trip led me to become an architect − now I lead a program that teaches architecture to mostly young women in South Central Los Angeles]( Lauren Matchison, University of Southern California Women are underrepresented in architecture, occupying just 25% of jobs in the field. An architecture professor shares insights from her childhood on how those numbers can be turned around. Health + Medicine - [Lead from old paint and pipes is still a harmful and deadly hazard in millions of US homes]( Aaron Specht, Purdue University Although the US banned lead-based paint in 1978, homes built before then commonly contain lead paint. International - [Lebanese-Israeli fighting looks set to scuttle plans for historic land border settlement]( Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College A maritime border agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel seemed like a step toward peaceful relations. But now both countries are getting ready for what looks like an unavoidable war. Podcast 🎙️ - [North Korean women are now the breadwinners – and shifting this deeply patriarchal society towards a matriarchy]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation Bronwen Dalton and Kyungja Jung explain how North Korean women are driving a new form of grassroots capitalism. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast. 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