Gather Random Flowers

I say, if your knees aren't green

by the end of the day,

you ought to seriously

re-examine your life!

Bill Waterson

Calvin & Hobbes

We usually plant our flowers on the first of May, but this year spring has arrived quite early.  We spent a few days purchasing a variety of flowers to be planted in our rather large decorative containers.  I gather favorites for the front porch, but leave all other choices to my 'significant other' as he has numerous green thumbs that I seem to lack.

Planting flowers together seems to be our annual passage into spring, summer, and fall.  The array of colors surrounding our back deck and walk-way lifts my spirit with every glance.  He will labor over these beauties for three months, but it is a labor of love.  His dedication and tenderness to these plants is like personal therapy, calming and inspiring. 

For three months, I will slip out back and snip little flowers to tuck into miniature vases to give to friends.  I love to clash vibrant colors together or to pick delicate pastels depending upon my mood.  Either way, I lovingly gather random blossoms, thanking them for being a gift in my life. 

Collecting little vases is easy.  I use small salt and pepper shakers with lost lids, jelly jars from Christmas baskets, pickle jars or old apothecary jars.  Any thrift store usually has tiny decorative vases for under a dollar.  I find my self collecting these throughout the year as I give them away and need to replenish my stock.  There is always twine, raffia or old ribbon to add to the surprise little gift.  I miss this outlet of creativity when I run out of jars and we finally put our flowers to rest.

Pick up some flowers the next time you are at the grocery store.  When you get home, divide the bouquet and clip the stems.  Make little groupings without worrying about matching colors.  Then arrange each grouping into a little glass or bottle, placing them around your home or apartment.  Try one by your bed or in your bathroom or by your favorite chair.  Sometimes the kitchen window has a perfect little ledge!  It is surprising how this little gesture of gathering random flowers can brighten our spirits for days.

Listen With Your Heart ...



Any ordinary favor we do for someone or any compassionate reaching out may seem to be going nowhere at first, but may be planting a seed we can't see right now. Sometimes we need to just do the best we can and then trust in an unfolding we can't design or ordain.

- Sharon Salzberg 

All things have value, seen and unseen.  Sometimes we are blessed by immediate understanding of a thought, word, or deed while other times we must just trust that all will be as it needs to be. 

We must not let negative ego chatter talk us out of our authentic desires to be open hearted.  Gestures of kindness committed in private or public, prompted by heartfelt goodness will hit the bulls eye in good speed.  Stepping through vulnerabilities and weakness, overcoming personal fear, our confidence, dignity, and integrity soar.

With an open heart, we overhear Divine guidance prompting spontaneous actions.  Once I was told 'gut feelings' were authentic responses not having time to be censored by the mind.  When we allow our selves to be open to opportunities to assist others, Spirit can move us around where we need to be. 

We must broaden the concept of giving.  Giving is not limited to charity.   Treating fellow human beings in the brightest light possible enrichens our own lives as well as others.  It feels good to give!

When we were a family of six traveling to my parents home down south, we stopped at a small town cafe for our lunch.  The four children squabbled over who would sit where, and my then husband and myself sat where seats were remaining.  As we gathered around the round table, the locals looked us up one side and then down the other, finally turning their gazes back to their meals.

When our food came, none too soon for the fidgiting children, we all held hands and sang our family blessing as quietly as we could.  "Oh the Lord is good to us, and so we thank the Lord, for giving us the things we need, the sun, the rain, and the apple seed.  The Lord is good to us! Amen." 

An older man approached our table.  He said he wanted to buy our meal as we had reminded him so much of his years as a young father with family gathered around his table.  He had tears in his eyes and told us he had been touched seeing a family in prayer.  We kindly accepted this man's offer and invited him to sit with us as we finished our meal.

This was not charity.  We easily could afford our meal, but it meant so much to this local man it would have been rude to refuse.  It allowed him to connect with old memories and to feel good about his gesture.  So he was enhanced by his kindness, just as we were touched by his gesture.  And the seed ... the seed was planted that day in my children to sprout perhaps one day when they themselves are old and lonely. 

Listen to your heart.

Plant the seed, seen or unseen.

Trust in the unfolding.