Hay Fever

Eight years already since hay fever began to plague me. This year, too, the season when my nose tingles has come around. It seems my nose is weak to mimosa and mizuki (dogwood). The severity differs from year to year, but either way, two or three months of it are far from comfortable.

When I hear someone who once declared proudly, “I don’t get hay fever,” say, “This year I finally came down with it,” I can’t help but grin, glad that one more comrade has joined the ranks. And yet, on the other side, there is a me quietly wishing for an early escape from these very symptoms.

This year, so far, my nose has yet to tingle. Could it be…? My heart leaps with hope—but these symptoms also look to me like a medal for living in the flower trade, and so my feelings waver.