Sitting in my living room, I’m savouring my morning coffee and watching the first snowflakes for the season quietly cover the grass and the garden. The first few melt on the deck railing. There’s sourdough bread in the oven and my husband is still asleep. I love these quiet moments.
It was a busy summer and I can’t say that I’m sad it’s over. It was fun and fruitful. The community garden we took part in brought more abundance than I could handle. I learnt that those more experienced with gardening did not expect to process their harvest “on the side” like I was trying to do. They knew what to expect, when to expect it and set aside time to take care of it. I hope that next year I’ll be more prepared and therefore less overwhelmed. Grateful that it’s all waiting in the freezer and pantry now, to keep us nourished while Mother Earth takes a well-deserved break.
The winter gives me the excuse to take a break too. Soon I won’t even be able to see where my various garden beds are, as they sleep under a blanket of snow. I need the rest. We all do. So I welcome this snowfall. (Ask me again in February!)
The trees have dropped their leaves, lying dead around the trunks. They serve another purpose now, contributing to our compost pile and keeping the garlic bulbs warm underground. Nothing ever goes to waste in nature.
I wonder what will happen with my body when I die? I haven’t quite decided but I’m leaning toward a burlap sack. No fancy coffins for me. Just a return to Mother Earth. I used to think it would be cold and lonely but now I know I’ll be kept warm and in good company. Now I know that my body is the earth, destined to return.
Death is no more the end than birth is the beginning. It’s all part of an ongoing flow, in and out. Respected spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra likens it to a light switch. Flick it on, you experience life. Flick it off, you experience death. It’s never over.
How my thoughts wander as I sit here alone. Time is made more valuable when we are present to our thoughts. You’d be surprised what wisdom you hold if you spent more time listening to yourself. Sharing wisdom with each other is so much more nurturing than arguing who’s right or who’s wrong. I decided years ago that I won’t spend any more of my precious time complaining or gossiping.
A beautiful friend of mine sees the shape of hearts everywhere she goes. She often shares photos of heart-shaped leaves and stones online. She has a kind and loving heart, often expressed through her artwork. She’s loved by many because she loves. She chooses to see love in everybody and I think that’s why the hearts stand out to her. They’re available to us all. What do you choose to see?
