To all those who’ve
nurtured,
protected,
inspired,
laughed and cried,
commiserated and conspired with us,
revealed to us their vulnerabilities,
believed in the shimmery magic of starlight, fireflies, and rainbows,
showered us with grace,
and loved us into the light…
Happy Mother’s Day.
“Abundance is not something we acquire,” Wayne Dyer once said, “It is something we tune into.” I wholeheartedly agree. It’s not about having, or doing, or aspirational thinking. The Secret (if there is one) is to be fully present in each moment, wholly appreciative of the gifts available to us in the here and now.
It’s the ability to see a hummingbird’s nest for the iridescent promises it holds…
And to greet unannounced guests as if they belonged, as if this were the plan all along.
Abundance reveals itself when you wade, unafraid, into frothy waters.
Sometimes it appears as if by magic–shimmery bouquets from a bubble wand, for instance.
It presents itself in expansive moments of peaceful awareness,
Expresses itself as joyful noise or a whispered “amen.”
Abundance is a splashy little thing,
With a graceful elegance.
It’s a timeless beauty, capable of endless transformations.
Abundance can be of our own making, of course–bread dough, for instance, set to rise in a warm kitchen.
Perfect in its imperfections, it fills us with a delicious sense of well-being.
Abundance is the secret gardens we tend…
Within each seed of awareness, an abundant harvest.
I snapped these photos over the course of this past year. They speak to grand adventures and simple delights, quiet beauty and occasions that shout, Behold! It’s a curated collection, brief glimpses of the whole story, but when I remember these wide-eyed, breathless moments, I’m filled anew with gratitude for the abundance they represent.
How apropos, that Thanksgiving week prompted the challenge word abundance. Want to see more? Visit Veronica Roth’s page and follow the links. My responses to previous challenge words are available here.
Vanilla beans and cinnamon rolls…Lavender and lemon…Crisp, clean air, after a rainstorm…Fresh brewed coffee in the morning. These are standout fragrances, no doubt about it, but I’d put roses at the top.
Selected by the Vatican to honor the late Pope John Paul II, this luminous beauty has perfectly shaped blossoms and a sweet, citrus scent. Although it’s relatively new to the rose catalogue, Pope John Paul II is considered one of the most fragrant roses of all time. It’s certainly one of my favorites!(Don’t you just wish this were a scratch-and-sniff page?)
Pope John Paul II rose in my backyard
But when it comes to that quintessential “old-fashioned rose” fragrance, Damask is the once and reigning Queen. New roses are introduced every year, with various “improvements” to her lineage. Sure, it’s exciting to see all the new shapes and colors, with creative names to match. But once you catch a whiff of her classic pink blossoms, you’ll remember her always. Dreamiest scent, ever.
The Soul of the Rose, aka My Sweet Rose, by John William Waterhouse (via Wikimedia Commons)
I suspect my big love for roses stems from my tiny grandmother, Nana. One of my sweetest, fragranced memories comes of seeing her dab Rosewater Eau de Toilette behind her ears every morning and massage rosewater and glycerine into her arthritic hands at night. Oh, and when we ran into her arms after a prolonged road trip, she’d pinch her nose and tease, “You sure don’t smell like roses!” In this undated picture, she’s planted herself among her–our–favorite flowers. I’d like to think it captures the essence of her granddaughters, too, who loved her very much.
Nana among the roses, estimated 1916-1926
#AugustBreak2015 Photography Challenge, continued. The phrase for Day 14 is favorite smell.
In late January, this rosebush was a tangled mess of roots & twigs, nothing more.
I amended the soil, added water and compost tea. I whispered prayers as I weeded, released an entire carton of ladybugs over the rosebed when an aphid infestation hit. And ealier this morning, Pope John Paul II made his grand debut in my garden!
Bird by bird, rosebud by rosebud…this is how miracles reveal themselves, I've finally realized.
I'll show you more blossoms at some point (ha, did you harbor any doubts?), but it seemed appropriate to feature this one on Thankful Thursday.
ETA: Pope John Paul II in full bloom, just in time for Mother's Day! Pure white petals, strong citrus fragrance…a slice of Heaven, here on earth!
For much of my childhood, I was shamed into feeling I was less than. Indulgences like this didn't come my way very often. Maybe that's why the smallest things–the whispered kindness, the faintest glimmer of hope, the tiniest birds and blossoms–are among my greatest joys.
Before too long, I'll be gathering (and giving away) blooms from my refurbished rose garden. I'll inhale their delightful fragrances in gratitude, and do my best to exhale any thoughts that I'm not worthy.
Catalog copy: This elegant rose is the showpiece of the Vatican private garden, and now can be grown in yours as well! Among the finest white roses ever, it produces pure, luminous white, lavishly petaled blossoms with a delightful fresh citrus fragrance. This exceptional new Hybrid Tea has received top ratings for its powerful scent, vigorous growth, superior disease resistance, and perfect bloom form. 10% of net sales donated to the poor of sub-Saharan Africa.
