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| African Daisy, October 2020 |
She has made her home
among stones and fallen leaves
they all live in peace
* Not just a pretty flower.
When I saw this African Daisy in my neighbor's garden, I was drawn by how striking the white petals were against the dark background. I opened the photo this morning and my first thought was to crop out the background to have only the flower squared off. When I did that, I really missed the background - it felt like the background of stone and leaves and dirt was just as important as the perfect daisy. As I kept listening and pondering - I begin to see the connection and harmony between all of the elements. The garden stone is unchanging - or at least would require a lot of effort to move - and there are aspects of my life that are like that stone, unchanging. The fallen leaves that have collected are what used to be alive, and now play an important role in keeping the soil damp and nourished. I have my own fallen leaves - things that are not alive the way they used to be - but are still an important part of the whole. Lastly, the daisy - she is blooming right now, in this present moment. And in my life there is the vibrancy of this present moment - what is alive and blooming today. All three of these elements - stone, leaves, flower, are integrated in my neighbor's garden - there is room for them all and they each are an important part of the whole. And the same is true in my life - elements that seem unrelated are actually very connected and my invitation today is to hold them all with love.
