Today, February 28 is a public holiday in Taiwan for Peace Memorial Day, this year commemorating the 75th anniversary of the 228 incident in 1947, which marked the beginning of the White Terror era. Today also, a ‘host of golden daffodils’ has bloomed in Yangmingshan National Park after 2 months of endless rain, and are smiling up at blue skies, like the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Daffodils are also known as Lenten Lilies, reminding us that Lent starts this week on Ash Wednesday, and lasts for 40 days until Easter. This Lent, let us pray for peace in Taiwan, peace in Ukraine and peace with our neighbours whoever they may be.
Daffodils are also the national flower of Wales, so Happy St. David’s Day for tomorrow, March 1. And if you’re in Taipei, now that the rain has finally stopped, get yourself up to Yangmingshan to see them, they’re stunning!
Catherine Lee 
Thanks Catherine for another lovely post. Touched by the beautiful ‘Ukrainian Daffodil’ photo as we indeed pray for peace for Taiwan and Ukraine. Psalm 46! He makes wars cease!
Thank you!
Yes, daffodils coming out here now. We really need to pray for peace with Putin invading the Ukraine and pointing out that they have nuclear weapons ready. May god preserve us from a third World War
Your sentiments about daffodils on Yangmingshan and the Ukraine are certainly apt and well stated. On February 28th my mind goes elsewhere. Across the 39 years that I resided in southern Taiwan, and consorted with people who identified with being Taiwanese (rather than Chinese), the 228 became a rallying cry. The years from 1976 (when I arrived) to about 1989 (when it became possible to freely talk about the events of 1947 without fear of being arrested) were grim. When I took part in a march and parade in Kaohsiung, going from the train station where dead bodies were laid out, crossing the bridge where some of the dead were thrown into the river, and up onto the mountainside where the gate to the garrison from which the soldiers who perpetrated the atrocities had exited, I was deeply moved, and remain so until this day.
Certainly Ukraine and the beginning of Lent are to be remembered, but so are the memories of a nation almost strangled at its birth.
Thanks for sharing such personal memories