The Valiant Pine

The 10th world convention of Ikebana International was held in Tokyo, Japan last May 2012. In their beautiful magazine (I just received it not long ago), there was a message which touched my heart. I think it's worth it to quote:
"In a far corner of the Exhibition gallery was a small case containing just two tiny pine seedlings, and a few words of explanation. This was not spectacular display of ikebana magic, so it did not draw crowds. These little seedlings were from a number of seedlings grown from the seeds in a pine cone of a pine tree that miraculously survived the tsunami (Fukushima). The mother tree is dying due to the salt in the soil left by the tsunami, but these seedlings and their siblings will play roles in the reconstruction of the devastated areas and be honored as a symbol of fortitude and resilience."