TupeloKenyon.com

Garden Blessings

Notes from Janey . . .

My garden is a treasure that waits for me to come home at the end of our 6-month long tour. Arriving in the mountains of Wyoming in the middle of May, it is still sleepy and dormant from its long winter’s nap, but it manages to nod and smile with a bloom here and there to welcome me home.

This year, for the first time ever, we got back in time to see the tulips bloom. I have never seen them bloom. I planted them in the fall years ago, and had forgotten what color they were. Since we live back off the road, no one told me about the party they’ve been throwing every spring while I’m away. I was blown away by their stunning beauty.

As the days grow longer and the weather begins to warm, I go to my garden and sit in a turquiose, antique glider to do my morning meditations. With the gentle sun and the soft breeze, it is so glorious. So beautiful. I feel like I’m sitting in the palm of God.

Once, while sitting with my eyes closed, I heard a tiny sound right behind my head. I looked. It was a hummingbird perched on the wire fence. He just sneezed. I tried not to laugh, but it couldn’t be helped. Joy with a capital “J” resides in my garden.

Spiritual lessons do too. Last spring, I bought my closest girlfriends a rose to plant in their garden. It was a florabunda called “Sisters at Heart.” Two of them didn’t have a garden, so I planted one in mine for us to share. Like my deep friendship with these women, I cared for this rose bush all summer long. I loved it, watered it, fed it, talked to it, and showered it with gratitude.

I was thrilled when eleven tiny buds appeared. To me, it symbolized my sister’s shared spiritual connection and personal growth. One morning in my journal, I wrote about the eleven, glorious roses blooming near my feet. Eleven blessings. Right here. Right now. I wrote about my eleven closest friends and what each one means to me and what each one teachs me.

I couldn’t stop writing. I took it in another direction and wrote about the top eleven blessings in my life. No surprise, Tupelo was right up there at the top of the list. I followed through with ten more, writing as fast as I could. Gratitude flowed with each one, just like the words on paper.

It was a wonderful experience. I took a nice long look at my life and realized what is so damn good about it. I laughed. I shed a tear. I loved every moment.

Blessings and flowers… we just can’t get enough of them.

(If you want to share a rose with your sister-friends, here is the link: http://www.jacksonandperkins.com/gardening/PD/39212/)