A very Happy Mother’s Day to mothers everywhere, especially my own! This stunning arrangement was on the dining room table of the Japanese Ambassador’s home in Malaysia…I particularly love the woven fronds. The ambassador’s wife, Yoko, was hosting a coffee to celebrate the Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri), a day Japanese families pray for the growth and happiness of the young girls in their households. Dolls of the emperor, empress, court ladies, and attendants, dressed  in the flamboyant robes of the Heian Court, are are traditionally displayed on a tiered shelf with the emperor and empress at the top. This festival is also called the Peach Festival (Momo no Sekku) because March is the season of peach blossoms, symbolizing vitality, eternal youth, and peace.

On Mother’s Day this year, I would especially like to honor the grandmothers and mothers of Japan for their courage, strength, and perseverance in what must be some of the most difficult days of their lives. They continuously inspire me.

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.
A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.

~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

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