And even if it isn’t, I can pretend (or assume) that within the world of me and my me-ness:
Connections are everywhere.
This comes in handy whenever things get overwhelming. Or when my to-do list is seventeen million miles long!
Look at the garden.
It’s a beautiful garden. It’s the place where all my projects, hopes, possibilities, things that might happen and gwishes are growing.
But there are way more things growing in this space than I could ever possibly tend to.
Sometimes it seems like there isn’t any point in taking care of any of these flowers, when taking care of one means abandoning all the others.
Here’s what happens.
I just decide.
Every time I lovingly, intentionally do one caring thing for one flower, something about that act and the process is secretly working to nurture and support the other ones.
Or you know what? Even when I do a sloppy, half-assed thing to care for one flower. It still counts.
And so I keep doing just one thing.
Any thing at all, really. Just one thing.
Today I will not be able to accomplish the shocking number of things that need and want doing.
But each piece will count. And somehow it is helping the entire garden.
So I don’t have to do everything.
Even though the urgency monsters say that actually I do.
One thing at a time.
Each thing activating, untangling, supporting and helping all the other things.
Even if I can’t see it or feel it. Even if it’s underground.
I’m going to let the fractal flowers do the real work, and I will do what I can, in the way that I can. Trying to trust that every piece counts.
"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly.
"One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."
~~ Hans Christian Andersen
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| Botanical Gardens, Sydney Australia. |
15 comments:
This is an inspiring post especially as I contemplate weeding...it seems impossible and the season just started.
Thanks Christine.
Enjoy your time in your garden, it will be lovely to be outside in the sunshine.
Take care
Peggy xxxx
Good philosophy! Feh, stuff can wait. Wait forever!
And I also enjoyed listening to that beautiful song by Carla Bruni that's on your sidebar!
Very inspiring Love it and a good thing to live by. I will keep that one in mind when I will be in the same situation. You are a lightworker :) and I love that music on you sidebar. I have it on CD Hugs Marja xxx
@Debra and Marja
So pleased you both love the Carla Bruni song - it has been a favourite of mine since one of my blog friends played it back in 2008.
I love listening to it in French but thought you might be interested to read the English translation.
Someone Told Me - Quelqu'un m'a dit
I’m told that our lives aren’t worth much,
They pass like an instant, like wilting roses.
I’m told that time slipping by is a bastard
Making its coat of our sorrows.
Yet someone told me…
That you still loved me
Someone told me…
That you still loved me.
Well ? Could that be possible?
I’m told that fate makes fun of us,
That it gives us nothing and promises everything,
When happiness seems to be within our reach,
We reach out and find ourselves like fools.
Yet someone told me…
That you still loved me
Someone told me…
That you still loved me.
Well ? Could that be possible?
Well ? Could that be possible?
So who said that you still loved me?
I don’t remember any more, it was late at night,
I can still hear the voice, but I can no longer see the face,
He loves you, it’s secret, don’t tell him I told you.”
You see, someone told me
That you still loved me
Did someone really tell me?
That you still loved me
Well, could that be possible?
I’m told that our lives aren’t worth much,
Passing in an instant, like wilting roses,
I’m told that time slipping by is a bastard,
Making its coat of our sadnesses.
That you still loved me
Someone told me…
That you still loved me.
Well ? Could that be possible?
Take care both of you I love that we are connected.
Namaste
Peggy
What great thoughts to live by...both in the garden and for life in general.
Hi Kathy
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Take care
Peggy xxx
good advice. Power is really in numbers. Everyone adding to the good of others would solve many of the numerous world problems. I believe the advice I heard once was "Think globally, act locally."
Hi Bill
I like the way you think my friend - "think globally, act locally" - if we want to achieve change we "the people" will have to drive change ourselves.
For example concerning the environment we need to break the myth that greener growth is more costly.
It will be interesting to see if the digital age will empower individuals and transform the way nations and businesses operate.
So many questions, I guess if we just do one thing at a time we will be able to answer some of these questions.
Thanks for making me think mate.
Peggy xxxx
This is a lovely thoughtful piece of writing Peggy. I love the 'urgency monsters' and the 'fractal flowers' (those are mysterious!). Gardening is a good metaphor. Just one thing. And it reminds me of the Zen saying 'A man sits in the garden and spring arrives all by itself.' The art of least action - very skilful if you can keep the urgency monsters at bay :)
Hello dear Beautiful Sky
How lovely to read a comment from you and as always you add to the conversation with this great Zen saying.
Take care always and keep shining. xxxxx
Happy New Year - hope it's a good summer down there
A great feature of comment sections is no one is allowed the last word. Anyone can browse by and drop another comment, ad infinitum. Only if the comment section closes does a last word occur. Also your comment section allowed me to use a Latin phrase. This Latin opportunity seldom occurs in my conversations. I only brought this up to provide myself a Latin phrase opportunity. Note, I probably will use this last word comment on a few other blogs soon.
Hey Bill
So pleased you dropped by and left a comment.
What an interesting idea using ad infinitum. Did you know there is a book call Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin by Nicholas Ostler.
A reviewer said "The Latin language is a little like a Russian vine. No matter how hard it is pruned, it has a habit of springing back again."
I'll pop over to your blog and see what is going on in your world.
Take care
Peggy xxxx
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