I feel it in my bones here. The heartbreak, destruction, grief. A desire for peace. The sakura are in full bloom.

I walk along the Promenade of Peace path as a Japanese-American yonsei. The hyphen symbolizing the division I feel between being an American yet feeling so rooted and protective of my Japanese culture.

I remember the stories my grandma told me of the internment camps. Imagining myself as an American citizen, being forced to evacuate, stuffed on a train with the windows boarded up, and forced to live in a barrack brought up many emotions for me.

I created a morning altar of sakura petals in front of the A-bomb dome spiraling outwards as an offering. A blessing for expanding hope and peace in the world, while honoring and remembering my center, my roots, my ancestors. 🌸