The Peace I Found in Bonsai: My Journey Into the Art.
Earlier today, while sitting in my barber shop, I caught myself staring at a simple money tree in the corner. For a moment, a familiar sense of peace came over me, and I was reminded of where my journey with bonsai truly began.
As a child, I was fortunate to take frequent field trips to Japanese gardens, including the Murakami Museum and even Epcot in Orlando, where I saw breathtaking bonsai specimens. Those early experiences planted a seed of wonder in me—the feeling that bonsai was not just gardening, but living art.
My mother gave that seed room to grow. In the 4th grade, I had entered a science fair with the project “Does limestone protect pine trees from acid rain?” For my experiment, I purchased nine Japanese black pines, dividing them into dependent, independent, and variable groups. That project won me the grand prize at my school and even carried me to the county fair, where I placed as an alternate for state.
But what mattered most came after the fair was over. We had these leftover pine trees, and instead of letting them go to waste, my mother showed me how to wire, bend, and style them into bonsai. Those little trees became something our whole family cherished. More than an experiment, they became a memory—and for me, the first real step into the bonsai universe.
Since then, I’ve tried other outlets for creativity—drawing, painting, DJing, piano—but nothing resonated the way bonsai did. Even with the most basic material, I found I could shape something beautiful, something that inspired awe.
The more I’ve learned, the more I realize how vast this art form is, and how far I am from mastering it. And yet, that is exactly why I love it: bonsai is endless. Each tree carries history, patience, and spirit. It reminds me of the story of the Matsuoka family in the Edo period, who passed down a centuries-old pine called Yori (寄り – “bond, connection”) as a symbol of love and unity between families.
For me, bonsai carries that same meaning. It connects me to my mother, to my earliest inspirations, and to something far greater than myself—a living art form that continues to grow, teach, and bring peace with every passing season.
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