The Price of Pain

One Saturday noon, I was on my way to the restaurant to join my friends for a group lunch when I received a phone call from my teacher Sumi sensei.

“Kathy, I got some very special materials, could you come to study with me?”

I could tell the excitement in her voice, without any hesitation, I called my friends of changing plan and rushed to my teacher’s studio.

The special materials were few wild blackberry vines. Sumi sensei and Shao sensei had been working on them for a while before I joined them. The vines tangled, we had to separate them before we could arrange them. I never knew there were lots of thorns not only on the vines but also on leaves. Our hands were hurt so bad, when we finally made the vines ready for use, our hands were swollen.

Since wild blackberry vines were not everyday materials, Sumi sensei arranged them and Shao sensei and I offered few suggestions and cheers. Sumi sensei made three arrangements. We enjoyed them from different view angles.

“It’s worth the efforts and the pain.” Sumi sensei said while looked at her swollen hands then the arrangements. The arrangements were beautiful.

When I went in my car and ready to head home, I felt so hungry, I just realized that our study lasted more than two hours and I did not eat my lunch yet.

Wish you enjoy the arrangements and have a very Happy Monday!

In friendship through flowers,
Yirou.
(9-23-2007)

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