Look at the Pretty Flowers!
It is a worthy practice to stop and take in the beauty of flowers. They are such simple natural offerings. Yet they are a wonderful momentary pause in days that can yank our attention in less desirable directions.
Flowers seem to be everywhere. Even in cities, there appears to be great effort to bring the color and beauty of flowers to the streets. I remember how impressed my eyes were, to see the flowerbeds along the main boulevards of Chicago.
I am not among the avid gardeners who study and plan and plant and nurture gorgeous gardens! I wish I was a better gardener. The best I ever seem to do is get the impatiens planted beside the front door! But that does not stop me from loving flowers. Gladly, I have the capacity to bring in people with better backs than mine to help brighten my place with a wonderful variety of flowers.
My best friend always has cut flowers in her house. I adopted the habit a while ago, and am grateful for the practice. When I can cut my own hydrangeas and lilacs and Russian sage, it makes me so happy. Just walking through the house and catching sight of flowers brightens the day, especially in the darkest grey tunnels of Midwestern winters.
Every flower gets my vote. Even the dandelions of spring make my heart happy. (And the bees of late winter really need the nectar, so please wait to mow until they are done blooming. Pass it on!) Along the road and pathways of my daily walks: flowers. In humid swamps and up in the high country: flowers. Scented or not: flowers Every color, every geometric pattern, tall and short, showy and plain: flowers. They are everywhere.
And so, yes, I am a flower geek. I don’t know all their names, or how they like to grow, and that’s fine. But I often (ok, daily) take the time to stop and really notice the flowers I come across with humble and deep appreciation. It never fails to improve my outlook. It boosts sagging days, and enlivens days that are already going well. The part flowers play in my world is well-entrenched, and hope the same is (or can become) true as well for you.
