Making the Whole Beautiful

She could never go back

and make some of the details pretty.

All she could do was move forward

and make the whole beautiful.

Terri St.Cloud

http://www.bonesigharts.com/

There are just so many years left in my life, so I feel the urge to be more accountable and productive.  I have the sense that I will be greatly disappointed in myself if I leave this world with tasks left undone. 

In this last decade, my personal garden of creative design has been poorly attended.  There are numerous rows that have continued to grow in spite of my absence, but struggle in the death grips of the wild weeds.  Signs of new baby sprouts can be seen, but without necessary nurturing they will not prosper.  More hardy plants off to a good start somehow got nibbled down before reaching fruition.  Elements out of my control bring too much rain or not enough sun.  I must be a dedicated gardener before my seasons end.

The unrestrained recesses of my mind create a vision of my imaginary garden shed housing all of my tools.  I give a shove to open the old door that swings reluctantly on creaking hinges, now allowing the sun to shine in for I know that only light can guide me. The discovery of my old tool box brightens my vision with excitement.  Sorting through my instruments, I find some to be rusty, but many only need a cleaning to be in perfect preparation for the tasks at hand. 

It is easy to imagine myself kneeling inside my fictional garden patch with my wrinkled hands digging deeply into the rich soil which allows me to feel connected and alive again.  No gloves for me, thanks, as the dirt embedded behind my nails reminds me that I am real.  With these hands, I remove all that has wilted or died on the vine, and gently coach the roots of new things to spread deeply into the ground. 

Committed to this last effort at planting, I carefully select bold colors such as purple and yellow dotted with red.  I arrange lily of the valley, lilacs, and peonies to prompt familiar fragrances.  Then I create a boundary, guarding my creation from those who would bring destruction to my dreams.  I ask the winds to blow unkind words away, and for sunbeams to form a tunnel so the new life can safely reach up towards the blue sky.  Mother Earth has agreed to drink all unnecessary rain before it floods my domain.  And of course, the light of the moon will keep the darkness away.

We each have an imaginary garden and our box of tools is uniquely filled.  There is a certain responsibility to our patch of creation and only our individual attention will cause it to thrive and grow.  It does not matter if it is big or small, as it is in the design that reflects how we developed our skill in using the tools so generously given.  Together, let us move forward and make our gardens whole and beautiful!