One springtime long ago and far away, he had walked down boulevards lined with cherry trees bursting in pink. He breathed in the sweet fragrance of a million blossoms as delicate petals drifted through the air like snowflakes. It all made him feel so alive.
Returning home, he had planted cherry trees in his backyard so he could remember the experience each spring. This morning, his tired eyes strained to see blossoms in the trees, but overnight the season had advanced, and he felt his life ebbing away.