Day 60

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”

Buddha 

I love flowers. Its a new love. Not that I despised them before...but I don't think I ever really fully appreciated them. I remember when I was growing up on Plum Lane, we had pink and white azaleas and blue hydrangeas in our back yard. I used to run out there sometimes before dinner and pick some to put out on the table. Those stand out in my memory. And of course there were the single roses or carnations that you'd get at school on Valentine's day if you were lucky. Or the same ones that they delivered back stage or after performances. Those stand out as well. Certain wedding bouquets or special occasion deliveries. And I still remember the dozen red roses my first love sent me. He sent them to me on Valentine's Day a few months after we broke up...because he knew they were my favorite and that I had never received any before. Those definitely stand out. 

But these are all flowers that have some sort of meaning attached.The flowers I've noticed recently are the ones growing all around us. They've always been there. Always been beautiful, always smelled wonderful. They're everywhere and up until now, I feel like I've passed them by. What changed? Why have I now taken such notice? I think it is partly due to the fact that its spring and the flowers that the landlord has is our yard are all in full bloom and absolutely breathtaking. But I think it has more to do with this blog. I think this journey, this exploration of gratitude has made me much more aware of the world around me. I'm no longer pedal to the metal, eyes on the ground, going going going. And thank goodness because I'm starting to see all the things that I've missed from living that way. Starting with the flowers. 

Each afternoon on the way up my back walk to the door, I literally stop and smell the roses. They're exquisite. We have red ones, pink ones, yellow and white. All around the yard. There is even this weird purple one up front that smells like kool-aid. I love to watch them in their different stages. I swear I'll see a tiny bud in the morning and it will be almost in full bloom by the time I get home from work. It's really amazing if you think about it. Everything is wrapped up in this tiny green bud and them...BAM! An explosion of colors and scents and patterns. And they have such power. You can bundle them up and give them away to express love or sympathy. You can weave them through your hair, lay them on a grave, or carry them down the aisle. But I think they're most magnificent when growing on the vine, a perfect example of the circle of life...from bud, to bloom, to falling petals...beautiful in every stage. Our back walk is often littered with pink rose petals that have fallen...the cars on our street covered with little purple jacarandas.Even in their final moments, they are sharing their beauty with the world.

Day 60: I am grateful for the earth's most beautiful accessories....the millions of blooms that line our daily paths. I am grateful for my new-found awareness of these beauties. I am grateful to my landlord for sharing what is no doubt his great love of flowers...for painting my yard with colors and creating a space that gives me a great deal of peace...and calm.