A Dream of Blossoms and Wind

 Last night I dreamed that I was at some kind of high school reunion type of event.  I remember being in an absurdly crowded room.  People were bumping into each other and pushing each other around, and things started to get a little out of hand.  I started using the peng or "ward off" T'ai Chi movement in order to clear a little personal space and make my way outside.

Apparently, the hall I had been in just a moment before was in the middle of a Japanese garden.  On a patio below, there were some people I knew, including a girl I used to like and a few of her friends, sitting in chairs and watching a movie that was being projected on a screen against a wall.  The women were wearing dresses that looked almost like they were from the 19th century American South.  The film they were watching appeared to be Shogun. 

As I stood there watching, the night breeze picked up a handful of pink blossoms and flower petals and sent them spinning through the air.  A few of the women noticed, and we all watched the flowers as they danced through the courtyard.  Then there were more of them, and finally a tremendous spray of flower petals began swirling out of a hollow tree trunk and flying magically through the night.  The movement of the flowers seemed to defy the laws of physics.  It was like something out of a Hayao Miyazaki film.  I was amazed, and I remember the physical sensation of smiling as I watched this display, entranced and in awe. I was still smiling when I woke up.

It's the first time in as long as I can remember that I've seen something so beautiful in a dream.