Peace

You’ll find me in the garden!

Step back and look at the big picture

Every day even if it’s raining, you’ll find me in the garden. Busy taking photos of the flowers which have just bloomed, perhaps planting something, and of course doing some weeding. Today is no exception. As I wander outside the first thing in the morning assessing what’s new, coffee mug in hand, the garden begs for attention. Time slips away and so does stress since listening to birds chatter away and a little bee content with his daily task of feeding the queen. There is a sense of satisfaction. I gaze in bewilderment at such gifts, as a child on Christmas morning, giving me the sheer joy as explosions of colors appear before me. I can make a bouquet of wildflowers to cheer a friend or brighten a room. Choose me, they seem to scream out. Must be nice to know your purpose in life was for the instant pleasure you can give to someone else. Thank you God for providing me with eyes to see your beautiful creations, hands to pinch and pluck and a nose to smell their sweet scent. I try not to get overwhelmed with the mundane or the sometimes emotional roller-coaster ride but, as I stumble along the path, it’s good to have a place where things are quiet to reflect upon this journey. The sun sparkles in the water on the lake, there are a few ducks and geese about and a snapping turtle pops up from the deep while I stand at the edge of the garden pruning around my lilies. I have noticed Robins and Morning Doves finding plenty of maple seedlings to feast and multitudes of insects for treats, but just please leave my flowers be and not destroy the whole thing. Why they took the whole little seedling, off to its nest once early last spring, is just mind-boggling to me, and a little frustrating. You really have to put things in prospective assessing what is really important. Another lesson learned, you must protect the things that you love and let go of your troubles because somethings are just going to happen whether you like it or not. Deal with it like maintaining a garden, if it’s a weed then dig it out by the roots and throw it out; if it’s something that brings you happiness like flowers, then you must nurture them and give them room to grow. Don’t just let nature take its course, you must participate in order to have beautiful things in life. One of the hardest things to learn is there are somethings that are not going to turn out as you may have planned. No matter what you do there is going to be a time where you just have to take a step back and look at the big picture before you decide to get your hands dirty. Think about what is really important, with time and patience, everything changes.