Godspeed

Lovely blossoms at the wake

It is the changing of the guards in the family. We bid farewell to two uncles barely half a month of each other, the recent one so unexpected. Just as the grandchildren have been raising their kids and ushering them into adulthood, the great grand ones are bearing their own. Life is a cycle of births, and deaths. And the next generations, like new growth, bud forth and seem to push out the old. 

I marvel at the flowers that stood in vigil those nights. They serve as a beacon of hope, the way they showed off their patterns and colors, a reminder of the spirit of life that once was, and will continue to go on down the line.

Godspeed, dear kin! Thank you for being a part of us, the lives we shared, the lessons learned, the joys and the sorrows, the laughter and tears. Farewell. On that threshold till we meet again.

A-Glow

Heart sunshine, that's what I strive for. A warm, fuzzy, peaceful and content feeling deep within. My days are mostly the opposite --- there's always that pesky negative thought, and distractions pulling me in all directions. But once I step out and make contact with nature, I am grounded in the simple and more meaningful. I need only look to flowers that remind me to

"Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don't labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! -- Luke 12:27

Labor of Love

In one Korean restaurant they have this big divider, a screen, with embroidered flowers. Because of its sheer size, I was in amazement at how painstakingly each stitch was sewn to create these works. It must have been a veteran hand, trained by many years of sewing, each stroke of the hand dancing gracefully across the spread. 

I remember my maternal grandmother, a humble seamstress without much formal education. She was not refined in her ways, yet each stitch she put together resulted in the finest and most excellent of clothes she gave us. She would set herself to mending, stitching and darning --- the life of the family, the fabric of which she held together by much love.

Basil's Got Flowers

Basil or St. Joseph's Wort is our commonly used culinary herb known for its distinct sweet smell. But did you know that this plant, the king of herbs, has dainty and very white efflorescence? It carries with it the energy of purity and wisdom according to Hindi floracopeia. 

I am grateful for this plant that makes our dishes taste good, is a source of medicine, and teaches me to open my eyes and raise my level of awareness. 

Mindfulness, connection, integration, wholeness.

Pink Powderpuff

What a resplendent show of the feminine! These flowers scientifically known as the Calliandra surinamensis seem to burst forth in celebration of the soft, girly yet fierce qualities of nature. It does not hold back from expressing oneself. See how it radiates from a center outward in all directions. See how it seems to be illuminated from within, the light travelling to the outer tips like that in fiber optic cables.

And how I want to pick one, just one, to dust my cheek with.

Heart, Mind, Soul

Was in the lobby of a swanky Country Club in the south waiting for my team to show up. Across from where I was seated I caught sight of one of its utility personnel quietly setting flowers on a big round shallow bowl of water in the middle of the table in the reception area. I watched her. 

I felt I was privileged to witness someone in meditation. One by one, mindfully, she drew flowers from a plastic receptacle. She meticulously arranged them in some kind of pattern. Flower by flower. She could have just tossed in a handful and flicked or nudged them around like soldiers on marching orders but she did not. I was there from start to finish, feeling like I have just eavesdropped on a prayer.