Still Shining

Science has it that the stars we see shining above us may be stars that have long been dead. They continue to light up our otherwise dreary skies. Long gone yet their light remains. 

I chanced upon a handful of little yellow flowers strewn on the sand. They have fallen from their stems, now devoid of life. Yet they still captivate me. Little yellow stars still shining.

May we be the same to those who matter most --- our family.

Life is a Feast

"Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast" -- that's Shakespeare. No wonder spas and other places to rest greet us with bowls of flowers floating on water. They are happy that we have come and are eager to usher us into tranquility.

Going to spas is a treat to one's self. Nurturing our own bodies and treating it special is an affirmation of life, an affirmation that we are valuable. Oftentimes, the validation from others is wanting.  But if you are like me -- i can get that affirmation from feasting my eyes on a bowl of colorful flowers or listening to the happy notes from random birds that happen always on my window sill.

Santan of My Youth

I remember as a kid my playmates and i would extract the pistil (that long needle like thing in the middle of the flower) and sip its sweet nectar. Making like bees. I am glad to find out now that this shrub (also known as the Jungle Flame) is medicinal.

This woody shrub is good as a hedge with its sturdy stems. Very easy maintenance, not sensitive to harsh sunlight and is generous year-round with flowers. Yes, even now that it rains.

A Brand New Day

Spiderlily

My early morning stroll was my treat to my self. I had soft sand under my feet, a fantastic view of the sea, cool breeze in my hair, and the sight of these white flowers. How calming, how reassuring. Never mind that the lovely vibrant white ones were surrounded by their fallen comrades who have done their duty to appease vacationers and locals alike. There they stand held upright by one proud stem as if to encourage all to take courage and welcome the new day with all its challenges which are its blessings.

Flowers by the Seashore

Untended and allowed to do as they please these wild plants along the beach are a boon to my squinting eyes. There is just something about an early morning stroll and being greeted by the flowers as exquisite as these. 

They seem to carry a message to those who behold them. Here they are thriving under the naked sun, able to take root in not the best of beds while providing a kiss to weary souls. Simple blessings.

Embroidered Flowers

I  do not know if the flowers above were done by machine or hand-sewn. The framed piece on the wall was the only thing i found beautiful in the room billeted to us by our client. I am grateful to realize i am noticing some good thing amidst ho-hum surroundings. Flowers never fail. Even if they are not real.

I marvel at how we, mere mortals, try to duplicate what God, the Creator of all creators, has done. We try as best we can to copy the shapes and hues of nature in the effort to preserve something forever... tributes to the great artistry of the Immortal Hand.

Return to Happiness

Merry May.

We mark our days by seasons.  Every thing  has its own time. 

Life has its ups and downs. Sometimes just downs. But there is always a ray of sunshine to brighten our days. Or lovely flowers that remind us that everything will be all right.

The Lily of the Valley flower means a return to happiness. Folklore has it that when St Leonard suffered wounds from his battle with a dragon, where his blood fell there sprung these white bell-like sweet-smelling blooms.  From pain and agony has come something beautiful and sweet. It is also said that when Mary's tears touched the ground when her son was crucified, those tears became those flowers.

Transformations.

That is my present inspiration. It will come. Sooner or later.

“How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us.

So you must not be frightened if a sadness rises up before you larger than any you have ever seen; if a restiveness, like light and cloudshadows, passes over your hands and over all you do. You must think that something is happening with you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall. Why do you want to shut out of your life any uneasiness, any miseries, or any depressions? For after all, you do not know what work these conditions are doing inside you.” 
― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

It's all good.