A Word in Japanese: Nadeshiko

No one was more surprised than the people of Japan when the women's soccer team brought home the gold medal. It was a poignant moment for a country in the process of lifting itself out of disaster by its own tattered and tangled bootstrings.

The team name is Nadeshiko Japan. By now, most people who are curious about names know that nadeshiko is the name of a flower, but the meaning behind that choice is what adds to the poignancy of this team's victory.

The flower name is usually translated as simply a "pink". It blooms in sun or shade, but prefers a little shade. It is easily overlooked, but is a lovely, gentle color when noticed. It calls little attention to itself, but makes the perfect background for other plants sharing the garden. It looks fragile, but has the quiet strength to bloom in its own way.

Nadeshiko--a generation ago in Japan, nadeshiko was the symbol of all that a young woman should be.