Honouring Loved Ones Beneath the Cherry Blossoms — and the Beauty of Passing Things
A Spring Gathering to Honour Loved Ones who have Passed & Ancestors
Spencer Smith Park, Burlington
🗓 Saturday, May 2, 2026
⏰ 10:30 – 11:15 AM
📍 Spencer Smith Park (by the cherry trees along the lake)
A Moment Beneath the Blossoms
Each spring, the cherry blossoms bloom along the lake at Spencer Smith Park in downtown Burlington. For a brief moment the trees stand in fullness — luminous, delicate, unmistakably alive.
In Japanese aesthetics, the phrase mono no aware describes the gentle awareness of impermanence — the beauty of passing things. The blossoms are admired at their peak, yet their falling petals are equally meaningful. The moment does not lose its beauty as it passes; it simply changes form.
Inspired by this awareness, the Sakura Project invites our community to gather for a quiet moment of reflection, remembrance, and connection.
The Story Behind the Sakura Project
The Sakura Project grew from personal experiences of loss and transition in Robert and Beverley’s families, experiences that many people share as life unfolds through different seasons.
In recent years, Robert and Beverley said goodbye to loved ones who shaped their lives in profound ways. Robert’s mother, Judy Mun-Pin Tang, passed away after her battle with breast cancer. More recently, Robert’s father, Aaron Tang, experienced a series of health challenges following a heart attack and spent time in long-term care before passing away on October 28, 2025.
During that time, Robert often hoped to take his father to Spencer Smith Park to sit together by the lake and spend time outdoors. Although that visit never happened during his father’s lifetime, gathering here now offers a quiet way to honour that intention.
Life transitions often leave traces in unexpected places. Even something as ordinary as Beverley’s father’s longtime Honda Odyssey van quietly became part of many family moments — helping move loved ones from longtime homes to senior residences and supporting several important transitions over the years.
Earlier this year, as the van began to show its age, it felt like another gentle reminder that some chapters eventually come to completion. Letting it go was less about the vehicle itself and more about recognizing the many memories it carried.
In its own way, that moment reflected the same awareness expressed in mono no aware: that beauty and meaning are often found precisely in things that do not last forever.
The Gathering
The Sakura Project is intentionally simple.
There is no formal program.
No speeches.
No expectations.
Only presence.
Some may come remembering a parent, partner, or friend.
Others may reflect on ancestors or family lineage.
Some may simply pause beside the lake and take in the blossoms.
If enough participants feel called to move together, we may share a gentle danceFLOW qigong / tai chi–inspired movement experience — slow, grounding, and accessible to all ages and abilities.
Participation is entirely optional.
This is not a ceremony or religious event.
It is simply a shared pause — a moment to remember, reflect, and acknowledge that the people who shape our lives continue through the stories we carry.
Sharing Stories That Continue
As part of the Sakura Project, Robert and Beverley would also like to invite members of the community — if they feel comfortable — to share a short story about someone who meant a great deal to them.
It might be a parent.
A grandparent.
A partner.
A mentor.
A teacher.
A friend.
If participants are open to it, Robert and Beverley would love to record short video reflections as part of a growing Sakura Project story series.
The hope is simple: that these shared memories may help keep stories alive, and perhaps offer comfort or connection for others navigating grief, loss, or life transitions.
Because in many ways, the people we love continue to live through the stories we carry.
Participation is entirely optional.
Simply being present beneath the blossoms is equally meaningful.
Legacy and Community
The Sakura Project also reflects the deeper values behind the danceScape Endowment Fund.
The Fund was established to support access to arts, cultural expression, and movement-based learning for future generations. At its heart is a belief that the people who shape our lives continue to influence the communities we build.
Gathering beneath the cherry blossoms offers a quiet moment to remember those who came before us — while also reflecting on how their influence lives on through the lives we lead and the communities we nurture.
In this way, the Sakura Project honours the past while the danceScape Endowment Fund helps support the generations that follow.
[Learn more about the danceScape Endowment Fund]
Join Us
🌸
The Sakura Project
Saturday, May 2, 2026
10:30 – 11:15 AM
Spencer Smith Park, Burlington
Hosted by Robert & Beverley
danceScape
If this gathering resonates with you, you are warmly welcome to join us.