You may be wondering what a Japanese tree has to do with the theme of education. Let me explain it better. The Sakura tree is a very common tree in Japan, known worldwide for its blossoms during Spring. The Sakura flower is a true symbol of Japan, both for its beauty and for its transience. In fact, once the flowers have blossomed on the tree, they stay alive for only a few days, after which they fall to the ground creating wonderful pink carpets. The flower represents life in its purest essence; therefore, for us, the Sakura flower represents an individual’s childhood: a period that goes from the birth of a newborn to the age of seven (according to Rudolf Steiner and other holistic thinkers).  It is during these years that a child’s personality is formed and built. The first three years of a child’s education are especially fundamental for the correct development of the child’s character and personality (as Maria Montessori claimed in her pedagogy). 

Like the Sakura flower, a child’s infancy does not last forever. Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking otherwise. The rapid physical and psychological growth of our little bundles of joy proves it every day. We, therefore, do cultivate love and choose a conscious education that, harmoniously, develops the personality of our children, so they will become integrated and responsible adults. We don’t want to wait for the 🌸 to fade, but we do serve the spirit of the child from its birth and, indeed I would say, from the first months of the mother’s pregnancy. We have to remember that the child is the only true builder of man; thus, if we aspire to a better humanity, we must start from ourselves and from the child.