Always Something Blooming
This year not only did we have our fruit and vegetable garden, but I also added a container bed for cut flowers. I love having fresh flowers in the kitchen all the time.
Store-bought flowers add up the grocery bill quickly, plus given the driving distance, I can't always replace them as soon as they die.
The idea of having my own flower "shop" was almost too good to imagine.
We grew everything from seed and I learned a hard lesson as the plants began to grow. We thought we were helping, but we were actually crippling our flowers. If you missed that story, you can read When Helping May Be Harming Part One and When Helping Hurts Part Two.
After working through that challenge, the flowers took off. The ones I transplanted to other areas are thriving too. At first, it didn't look like they could hold themselves up or survive the shock of being cut way down and moved. But they did.
Most things are far more resilient than we imagine.
People are too.
Flowers don't bloom at the same pace, and they don't die at the same rate. With a steady supply of my own blooms now, I've developed a wonderful rotation system for always having a beautiful arrangement.
We started with a vase full of fresh-cut flowers. I love how wild they are and the unexpected combinations of colors I probably wouldn't choose at the store. I simply gather whatever is blooming and enjoy the variety.
Eventually, some of the blooms begin to turn brown and look a little rough. That affects the beauty of the whole. But as soon as I pull out the dead ones, it looks like a just-picked, fresh bouquet all over again—even though there are fewer flowers.
Soon as I can, I bring in new blooms, sparing only a few to remain for my enjoyment outside, trusting more will come.
I've heard that the more I cut, the more flowers I'll have. This is an abundant universe—I don't have to worry about "using up" all the flowers. Ooh, that's a life lesson for another day.
Having recently pulled out the dying blooms, today I added about eight new ones to my vase, and it's beautifully full again. I don't even spend much time arranging them. They're perfect in their wild state.
My vase stays filled with fresh flowers as long as I keep discarding the dead. Sometimes it's fuller than other times, but it's always vibrant and beautiful.
Life works the same way. We can live surrounded by beautiful blooms as long as we're willing to discard what's withering.
Life naturally ebbs and flows. It’s essential to let people, situations, and things go when their natural course is complete.
People come into our lives, and people leave. Sometimes we have to let one relationship go before a new one can have room to grow. It's okay if the vase is less full for a while. It will still be beautiful if everything in it is alive and thriving.
What else occasionally needs to be discarded?
Jobs.
I've heard the average person has seven careers in a lifetime. Why? Because we change. We bloom. We outgrow what once fit us.
If our bouquet of life consists of relationships, work, hobbies, social activities, financial well-being, regular inspiration, sleep habits, dietary variety, physical wellbeing, plus anything else that makes up a meaningful life, our arrangement will remain vibrant and inviting—whether it's overflowing or spacious—as long as we're willing to periodically discard what we need to let go of.
How is your bouquet looking today?
Did you just put it together and it’s all fresh and wonderful? Oh great, enjoy every bloom.
Are some things starting to turn brown and wither? Or maybe quite a few things are no longer vibrant with life? Maybe today is the day to start letting a few of those dying blooms go.
Perhaps you have recently discarded the dead and noticed how much brighter everything else looks? Bravo for having the courage to remove what was bringing the rest of your life bouquet down, while trusting that replenishment in whatever form is needed will come at the right time.
Maybe you're out in the garden right now, choosing which fresh flowers will come home with you? That's an exciting season too. Enjoy making your selections.
Thankfully, something is always blooming and available when we're willing to make room for new life.
Does today's meditation resonate with you? Please share your voice in our FTG Readers Group on Facebook. Your hopes, thoughts and dreams matter to me.
I'll share more flower shots and a video in the FTG group and my other social feeds. So pretty! So grateful!
