Morphing into me...

At least that is what I think is happening - but I haven't had my morning latte yet, so am not quite sure. Mornings really are sacred - or they should be. While I try to be a positive person, I really dislike the barrage of noise once the city starts to wake up and get on with its day.

Reasonably I know that as the hours have progressed the noise has increased - I just wish it would stay quiet longer ....

I am definately one of those people that could easily and very happily become a hermit. I have very little need to go anywhere these days. I can write from home, spend time in my garden and most things that require outside assistance can be done online or via the telephone. Yet I know deep down that the world will not let me - or more accurately my life and perhaps that is as it should be.

I enjoy solitude in fact seek it out far more than most other things. I think when the universe pushes me out of my comfort zone it is to teach me something and most times I am grateful. For example - I spend many hours in my garden - spreading my heart, love, hopes and dreams into all that I do and can be quite frustrated when people let their dogs loose to do their business within it (while I am on hands and knees in the very same garden).

I can also get frustrated when parents just let their children beat about the plants, beating the heads off of the carefully cultivated flowers for no reason - other than they are physically able to do so.

Yet this one day a tiny little girl was walking with her father and she had a flower in her hand. My first instinct was to cringe and think she was going to break off some of the flowers from their stem and take them with her - but to my complete surprise she did not. She bent down to where the other plants had been chopped off and placed her pink flowers there. She carefully moved the earth to support its newest charge, stood up and asked her father if that would make the garden feel better. (That is the picture in today's post)

I stood there in awe of this little girl with more than a few tears in my eyes - she turned to smile at me and gave me a little wave. I heard myself saying thank you, but I knew she was too young to understand what I was really thanking her for, or perhaps not if she had enough maturity to do what she did.

What I learned that day was that if you hold on too tightly to things - they will go in one way or another, but if you let it go, just be - things will always work out. I also learned that just because one person acts one way - it doesnt mean all people will and not to prejudge everyone. I learned that hanging on to the negatives only make me unhappy.

I've always had issues with trust and faith and this one little incident is making me a believer again. It's amazing how one little thing can change your frame of reference - and you are never the same again.

In some way that might sound insane - as I remember that little girl - in my minds eye, I can also see myself as a little girl doing the same thing - and perhaps the daughter I do not have yet, or even the little girl down the street.

I think what I am trying to say is that one simple thing, one word, one gesture, one person - done with the right heart condition, can change everything. We all wait for the grand gestures but really its all the little things that matter.

I'm not sure how to sum up that experience, but I learned something yesterday that might just do. I learned that when Tibetan people greet each other - they put their hands palm together, fingers facing upwards in front of their chest, they bow and say the words "Tashi deley". The words mean I honor the magnificence in you. I think that is a beautiful way to acknowledge each other and our contributions to life - from a place of faith and compassion and I'm going to do that today...

In an attempt to reduce my stress regarding the flower situation, I'm going to try something I have learned and will start by saying: I want to acknowledge to the universe that while I create my garden in memory of my mother and father and as my silent tribue to love, life, memories, friendship, hopes and dreams - I realize that nobody else knows what it means to me and thus, do not have the same affinity for it.

I also realize that beauty is for all to share and I do build the garden to share its beauty - I do however ask and hope that people would just let it be - for all to enjoy. Once the flower is taken - the joy can only be experienced by the person that took it - and the rest of the plant begins to die. For all of their beauty and all they offer us - they are really only here for such a short time and we should enjoy and appreciate them, not be selfish enough to take that joy from anybody else.

That said, with this I vow to let them go with love and my best wishes. If you are in need of the love and beauty my flowers provide - please take them with the blessings of my heart - as obviously you need the gifts with which they were cultivated and grown.

Actually.. in writing this I now realize that what I have said is not entirely true. Well it is true, it was just an unfinished perception. I said eagerly that once the flowers have been cut they die and bring no pleasure to anybody. Did I not just find huge pleasure from the gesture of the little girl to leave the fresh flowers from somewhere else in my garden???

Funnily enough... you know what... the "noise" outside has quieted down... Perhaps it was my own arrogance and ego making such discontent within me ...

Lesson learned... thank you...

Tashi deley...