Every year, my family and I trek into the city to spend a few moments walking in the sea of white blossoms at the Tidal Basin in Washington DC. After 9 years, it’s an experience filled with family traditions to celebrate the coming of spring. With ongoing restrictions, I knew this year was going to be different so I had to get creative.
In February, I saw an advertisement for the Petal Porch Parade. The National Cherry Blossom Festival was encouraging residents to decorate their porches to celebrate the season. Even with a busy life, including supporting virtual learning, I knew I wanted to participate. I could not find any options online to purchase so I looked for materials and designed the pattern myself. The idea started small with a couple of flowers and kept growing. Each petal was made by hand out of vinyl tablecloths. With a little ingenuity, the flowers took shape and grew from a couple to over fifty. It was joyful to do something completely unnecessary and create an over the top display.
The display is called “Hope Blooms Bright,” and that’s exactly what I hope our community will feel when they see it. People have been stopping by all week to talk about the colorful flowers. Our home is on the official Petal Porch Parade map, joining other cherry blossom enthusiasts in the region.
It has not been the easiest year but despite it all, spring comes again and the blossoms bloom. Traditions may look different, but hope continues if we get creative.
