Evidence of Spring are everywhere. The forsythias are blooming, the japanese magnolias have come and gone, the happy heads of daffodils nod in gentle breezes and I found a viola smiling up at me in my mom's garden yesterday. The buds on my doublefile viburnum are plump and prepared, and green sprouts adorn the gold berried possumhaw. Some trees are filled with white blossoms way out in the forests - I'm not sure what they are - and the redbuds will color the hills with purple soon.
Spring is a time of rebirth for both the land and its inhabitants. The horse stables down the road have a pasture set aside for the mother horses and their new foals. The foals are so cute with their short little tails flipping with glee. They run about testing their new legs and lay down in the sunshine all stretched out.
People, too, are poised for rebirth. This is a good time to sit in the warming sunshine and reflect on our goals and our blessings. For me part of my rebirth involves changing the way I react to people and situations. My initial response is usually along the lines of "THEY aren't doing (whatever) right, or THEY said (X) that hurt my feelings, or THEY did (fill in the blank), or THEY are making my life miserable. Intellectually, I know that THEY aren't doing anything to me - I'M doing it to me by allowing the negativity to fill my soul. My goal is to recognize this and change myself and the way I deal with it.
One of my favorite reads of late has been "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. (I highly recommend this book to those of you seeking change in your life) The particular character in the book who always springs to mind when those feelings rear their ugly head within me is the old medicine man she met in India. He would smile and nod when lectured about his faith and what he should do and must believe in to find Spirit or God. Smiling and nodding he would agree with the other person completely, and then go back home and do what he's always done. I forget exactly how it was phrased, but he believed that it was more important to let the other person feel they've accomplished something, than it was to cause discord by disagreeing. It wasn't important to him to try to "convert" someone else's opinion or methods or character - because it's impossible. It's more important to make people feel good about themselves and for you to be true to yourself. Read the book - Elizabeth says it far more eloquently.
So today I'm considering Spring and Rebirth of my soul and passions for living in this exquisitely beautiful place called we call Mother Earth.
5 comments:
Hi Debi, I enjoyed your reflections in your post. I read an interesting story once that kind of goes along the line of your thoughts.
A person was moving to a new area, and saw an old man sitting in the town square. He walked over to the old man and began to talk to him. "How are the people in this village? Are they nice? Are they meanspirited?" The old man looked up at the stranger and asked, "How were the people from the place where you came from?" The stranger replied, "They were a terrible bunch of hateful, meanspirited people." The old man didn't hesitate in his reply, "They are the same here." Of course, if the stranger had said that everyone was kind hearted and loving in the town that he had left- the old man would have said the same thing. I think that often times- not all- but often- we make our own reality.
Great entry!
Lovely flowers, Debi. Spring is still playing hard to get here, but it'll come along eventually.
Thanks for that bit of zen, it is so true. I love the word 'glee' you used to describe the foals frolic, it conjures such a lovely image. Spring is wonderful.
Frances at Faire Garden
Beautiful spring blooms Deb. This is a season of rebirth.
I think the composition of this image is brilliant! I just love how the colors work together and the sculptural nature of the tulips in the foreground.
Super shot!!
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