everyday acts of reverence
field notes: watch, walk quietly, and listen in a deeper way
I have been obsessed with foxglove, and the blooming sage, and the first roses, and watching baby lavender grow.
I’ve been grateful for the soaking rain after three weeks without a drop of water.
I’ve been watching the gardens emerge new plants, from seeds I sowed two seasons ago. I’ve been amazed at the peonies that weren’t “supposed” to bloom their first year. It’s all magical.
Every time I see a new flower open, I think it must be the most beautiful thing on the Earth today.
The bursting pace of Spring has exchanged for the patient growth of Summer. One list of tasks turns into another. Planting, watching, watering, checking in… What do I see? What do I hear? What’s in the landscape around me and within me?
Also coming soon — the Solstice, which translates to “Sun standing still.” Beyond the push of Spring, and coming to a transition moment in Summer, I notice the subtle call for ‘standing still,’ for a sacred pause.
Am I slowing down enough so it can all become more beautiful?
“Walking. I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.”
- Linda Hogan
To listen in a deeper way, to watch, to walk quietly, and to be patient as my senses grow sharper. This. An everyday act of reverence.
It’s my invitation. Your invitation. And so I’ll leave you with this, as well as a photographic collection of beauty at Forest & Flowers Retreat.
With gratitude. Thank you for your noticing.
Your gardens are so neat, straight, and tidy. No weeds. You have some interesting flowers. Living in the city presents challenges that are at times difficult to overcome. There is constant frenetic energy, even when it is quiet. I rise at 4:30 am to drink in the approach of dawn and enjoy the symphony of birdsong. I seek the flower garden within -- there are some weeds which are beautiful as well. They keep me grounded reminding me that I am a work in process...After all, a weed is just a seed that's been misplaced, and there is "rose" beauty there as well.
the roses around here too are blowing my heart open... they're drinking the intermittent soaks of the monsoons and becoming themselves...