“Deepest joy is like a flower….beautiful in essence.” ~Tony Samara

Dear Universe,

I have discovered—or rather re-discovered—something about myself.

I like gardening.  Specifically, I like planting flowers, caring for them and watching them bloom.

Years ago, I would plant flowers in the spring and tend to them.  I always enjoyed it.  I don’t know why I forgot that.

Life can be funny like that. Sometimes you simply forget the things that used to bring you joy.

This year I decided to spruce up my house with some flowers.  One plant led to another; one bloom inspired several more.  Before I knew it, I had quite the garden growing.

Tending to the garden made me remember something else.  Gardens are a lot of work!

When you are enjoying what you are doing, it doesn’t feel like work.

But here’s the thing.  I don’t mind—not one bit. Being outside tending to the flowers made me remember something else.

If you give your mind the space to wander, one memory often leads to another.

One of the reasons I like gardening so much is because it brings me peace.  Somewhere in the middle of picking weeds, watering the blooms and standing in the early morning air with perfectly timed breezes, I zen out.  I mean I completely relax.  The endless chatter in my mind that I usually hear is drowned out by the sounds of the water spraying and the birds chirping.

It’s like a mini-meditation session right in my own backyard.

When you are enjoying something so much, everything else is put on pause for a while, and it is such a satisfying feeling.

   Sometimes we don’t feel like we have the time to stop, drop and meditate.  But watering the flowers has reminded me that peaceful, meditative moments can be found in the everyday, routine things, if we just let them.

I could easily bring my cell phone with me and chat while I garden.  I could play loud music or make mental to-dos, but I don’t.  I allow myself that time of day to be peaceful and I am grateful for it.

By taking the opportunity to allow peace in, something wonderful has happened.  The flowers are blooming outside while my soul is flourishing on the inside.

When I finish gardening I feel peaceful, relaxed and ready for the day ahead.

Now when I am out of the garden, I search for more moments in my daily routine that I can fill with solitude.  It’s easier than I thought it would be.

Some mornings I drink my morning coffee with a book in hand, instead of the news in the background.  Sometimes I drive without music.  Sometimes I simply take a few moments to breathe in and out, and be grateful.

I am so glad I have re-discovered an old love.  It has led to more solitude and peace than I could have imagined.

Life can be funny like that. Sometimes you simply forget the things that used to bring you joy… until you remember them again.

With Gratitude,

A