My gardens
are doing much better this summer . . .
they are responding
to the better care I’ve been able to give them,
thanks in part
to my determination
to accept myself and what I can
and cannot do . . .
I’m learning
at this ripe, old age
to do what I can,
take a break,
and do what I can,
and then to accept my limitations
when my body says,
‘enough for today’.
For me
this has been a growing amazement–
that I can welcome what I have done,
rather than berate myself
for what I haven’t.
I’m still a work in progress,
off course,
but I am finding pleasure again
in doing the work.
I planted Giant sunflower seeds this summer,
and am awestruck
every time I look at them now.
They are eight feet tall
and have produced dinner plate sized flowers,
which will be wonderful food for the birds . . .
I’ve seen these sunflowers in fields,
but never had one in my own garden,
which is much different,
psychically speaking . . .
I didn’t think it would be.
I’d say they are majestic,
but that’s not quite the right word . . .
they are too friendly looking
to be majestic.
I think they are just plain happiness incarnate. 🌻
Walking on the beach at Parker River Wildlife Refuge today. I walked for miles but the beach seemed to go on forever.
There were many purple martin swallows skimming over the sand, eating bugs as they get ready to migrate.
My nature walks on Monday which is land that has been preserved by our Conservancy in my state. The walks were in the towns of Tiverton and Little Compton RI. and one along the scenic Sakonett River. Just beautiful!! Lots of large farms and beautiful stone walls and this time of year lots of blooming trees and flowers. It is also a less busy part of the state and very charming. We ate lunch in the quaint little village. 🌞
I was visiting a friend’s beach house earlier this week, and got up early in the morning to sit outside with my coffee and do my morning practice. The place where I sat had a view of all of his beautiful flowers, backed by the pine trees beyond the deck. The sky was azure blue with one half completely clear, and one half with amazing wispy clouds. Bees were starting to work in the flowers, birds were landing and singing in the nearby pine trees, and a cool summer breeze was blowing. I was aware of just how much life there is in the world, and I drank in the setting with joy and gratefulness.
Thanks to your vivid description,
dear Clay,
I can sit back for a moment
and breathe in with you
a little of the peace you experienced
this morning.
Thank you
for sharing the moment here . . . ♥
A friend of a friend is a piano teacher, and I reached out to ask for her rates. In the process, I found her website, which lists her compositions. They’re so beautiful! I was filled with a sense of awe that this quiet person, who simply said “I play piano” when I met her, has this musical genius inside.
On my walk yesterday watching monarch butterflies going from one beautiful flower to the next. Honey bees & big fat bumblebees quietly doing their thing too. Happy & content they all were. 🐝🦋🌸 Made me stop & watch, & “oohh & awe”…..😊
I must say whenever I am outdoors I am in awe.
So much to take in…..❤️
Thank you to Everyone who wished me Happy Birthday yesterday. I can feel the love here.
🙏🏻❤️
Have an awe filled Saturday All.🕊️❤️
On my walk one morning this week, I turned my head back to look at a house from a different angle, thinking my daughter would like that house layout, when I noticed the sun just beginning to peek over the hilltop. I walked a few steps further and stopped to watch the full sunrise, as it burned the clouds away. It never gets old.
Visiting a friend’s Centennial Farm and walking through her gardens as the sun rose in the east above the soybean fields. Totally alone, save the critters who saw me that I did not see.
I didn’t know what a Centennial Farm was — learned it’s a farm that has been in the same family for 100 years or more. Neat! Thanks for the share, Mary.
Nature always. But aging has increased my sense of wonder and awe at this world we live in. At 75, I am still active but slowing down. I approach every day with an awareness that no matter how many years I live, days are numbered. This makes me stop to feel and cherish little, everyday things. Clouds, birds, trees, family, friends, connections to strangers, people connections. So much more. In other words, I am in awe of what we are given in this world. Of course, I have to balance this with daily disappointment in human cruelty in this world. This Grateful Living website helps me focus on the humanity’s good.
Day 4 In Grateful Livings 100 Gratitude Challenge for explains this well: what I am talking about.
Reflect
Imagine if the moon were visible only one night in your entire life or if flowers bloomed only once a decade. How would you organize your life to experience such awe? Isn’t it extraordinary that every day of every year, the sun rises, the stars dazzle, the trees shade, the rivers nourish? Such beauty and mystery! Based on his awe research across cultures and age groups, Dacher Keltner reports: “It is hard to imagine a single thing you can do that is better for your body and mind than finding awe outdoors. Doing so leads to the reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and cancer.” Every day, amidst individual and global struggles, we have the chance to be both dazzled and nourished by the world around us.
Practice
For 5 minutes today, seek awe in the natural world. Whether you’re able to get outside, look through a window, or simply close your eyes and envision your favorite place in nature, document three gifts of the natural world that inspire your awe. Make a simple list, take pictures, record sounds, sketch, call forth memories — whatever heightens your appreciation. What changes when you take time to enjoy and savor these gifts?
A poem that fits your thoughts: Cathy Ross: “If the Moon Came Out Only Once a Month”
If the moon came out only once a month
people would appreciate it more. They’d mark it
in their datebooks, take a walk by moonlight, notice
how their bedroom window framed its silver smile.
And if the moon came out just once a year,
it would be a holiday, with tinsel streamers
tied to lampposts, stores closing early
so no one has to work on lunar eve,
travelers rushing to get home by moon-night,
celebrations with champagne and cheese.
Folks would stay awake ’til dawn
to watch it turn transparent and slowly fade away.
And if the moon came out randomly,
the world would be on wide alert, never knowing
when it might appear, spotters scanning empty skies,
weathermen on TV giving odds—“a 10% chance
of moon tonight”—and when it suddenly began to rise,
everyone would cry “the moon is out,” crowds
would fill the streets, jostling and pointing,
night events would be canceled,
moon-closure signs posted on the doors.
And if the moon rose but once a century,
ascending luminous and lush on a long-awaited night,
all humans on the planet would gather
in huddled, whispering groups
to stare in awe, dazzled by its brilliance,
enchanted by its spell. Years later,
they would tell their children, “Yes, I saw it once.
Maybe you will live to see it too.”
But the moon is always with us,
an old familiar face, like the mantel clock,
so no one pays it much attention.
Tonight
why not go outside and gaze up in wonder,
as if you’d never seen it before,
as if it were a miracle,
as if you had been waiting
all your life.
You have written a beautiful and thoughtful reflection,
dear Janet,
and I love how you point out
that our time here is finite
and how important it is to cherish
what is ‘everyday’ awesome.
You remind me of the opening lines of Colette’s
‘Break of Day’ . . .
from a letter written in response to an invitation to visit a friend.
“…and I am touched that you should ask me to come and see her. All the same I’m not going to accept your kind invitation…The reason is that my pink cactus is probably going to flower. It’s a very rare plant I’ve been given, and I’m told that in our climate it flowers only once every four years. Now, I am already a very old woman, and if I went away when my pink cactus is about to flower, I am certain I shouldn’t see it flower again.
So I beg you, Sir, to accept my sincere thanks and my regrets, together with my kind regards.”
♥
Back in June I had one of my best friends daughter stay with me for a few days. She is 25 and has so much adventure in her. She speaks fluent Spanish and quickly learned Portuguese. She just moved to Brazil this past week. She now makes $ off of TikTok teaching English to Portuguese students. She definitely gives me a sense of awe with her courage and bravery.
Happy Saturday everyone.
Beautifully scented flowers. Citrus blossom, daphne, freesias. Reminding me of my grandmother, who grew all of these and shared the bounty with others.
I had never heard of daphne flowers – my cat’s name is Daphne (named her after Bridgerton Series) naturally I had to look them up – gorgeous beauties they are! Thank you – you made my morning 🙂
My father told me,
dear Joseph,
that the sunrises and sunsets in Boulder
were the most spectacular he’d ever seen
after St. Helens erupted in the Northwest.
I’m not sure what that means. ♥
When Mt. St. Helens erupted in Washington state I was in high school in Spokane. The ash plumes spread far and wide, turning sunrises and sunsets glorious with the color effects, similar to what wildfire smoke does.
This has been true for me too at times,
dear Christina . . .
in fact,
it revisited me last night
as I was trying to go to sleep.
At some level
I realized I was welcoming it–
the old, familiar,
but like you,
remembered that I had a choice.
We are all spiritual beings
inhabiting human bodies,
aren’t we? ♥
Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.
My gardens
are doing much better this summer . . .
they are responding
to the better care I’ve been able to give them,
thanks in part
to my determination
to accept myself and what I can
and cannot do . . .
I’m learning
at this ripe, old age
to do what I can,
take a break,
and do what I can,
and then to accept my limitations
when my body says,
‘enough for today’.
For me
this has been a growing amazement–
that I can welcome what I have done,
rather than berate myself
for what I haven’t.
I’m still a work in progress,
off course,
but I am finding pleasure again
in doing the work.
I planted Giant sunflower seeds this summer,
and am awestruck
every time I look at them now.
They are eight feet tall
and have produced dinner plate sized flowers,
which will be wonderful food for the birds . . .
I’ve seen these sunflowers in fields,
but never had one in my own garden,
which is much different,
psychically speaking . . .
I didn’t think it would be.
I’d say they are majestic,
but that’s not quite the right word . . .
they are too friendly looking
to be majestic.
I think they are just plain happiness incarnate. 🌻
I still have my sunflower seed packet that needs planting.
You’ll be greatly rewarded,
dear Michele,
if you get out there and plant! 🌻
Walking on the beach at Parker River Wildlife Refuge today. I walked for miles but the beach seemed to go on forever.
There were many purple martin swallows skimming over the sand, eating bugs as they get ready to migrate.
My nature walks on Monday which is land that has been preserved by our Conservancy in my state. The walks were in the towns of Tiverton and Little Compton RI. and one along the scenic Sakonett River. Just beautiful!! Lots of large farms and beautiful stone walls and this time of year lots of blooming trees and flowers. It is also a less busy part of the state and very charming. We ate lunch in the quaint little village. 🌞
I was visiting a friend’s beach house earlier this week, and got up early in the morning to sit outside with my coffee and do my morning practice. The place where I sat had a view of all of his beautiful flowers, backed by the pine trees beyond the deck. The sky was azure blue with one half completely clear, and one half with amazing wispy clouds. Bees were starting to work in the flowers, birds were landing and singing in the nearby pine trees, and a cool summer breeze was blowing. I was aware of just how much life there is in the world, and I drank in the setting with joy and gratefulness.
Thanks to your vivid description,
dear Clay,
I can sit back for a moment
and breathe in with you
a little of the peace you experienced
this morning.
Thank you
for sharing the moment here . . . ♥
Shared peace is a joy. Thank you, Sparrow. ❤️
☀️🙏
Yesterday’s reading from Richard Rohr and the comments others on this site shared with me.
Richard Rohr’s study of Francis,
dear Carol Ann
is rich with colour and nuance
and deeply touched with a kind of wisdom
we all seek.
Namaste . . . ♥
A friend of a friend is a piano teacher, and I reached out to ask for her rates. In the process, I found her website, which lists her compositions. They’re so beautiful! I was filled with a sense of awe that this quiet person, who simply said “I play piano” when I met her, has this musical genius inside.
I think there are hidden treasures inside all of us,
dear Drea . . .
you are one of the fortunate ones
who have had a peek behind the curtain. ♥
On my walk yesterday watching monarch butterflies going from one beautiful flower to the next. Honey bees & big fat bumblebees quietly doing their thing too. Happy & content they all were. 🐝🦋🌸 Made me stop & watch, & “oohh & awe”…..😊
I must say whenever I am outdoors I am in awe.
So much to take in…..❤️
Thank you to Everyone who wished me Happy Birthday yesterday. I can feel the love here.
🙏🏻❤️
Have an awe filled Saturday All.🕊️❤️
You are loved,
dear PKR. ♥
❤️
I love watching the pollinators on a popular plant. They’re so focused and so interesting to look at.
On my walk one morning this week, I turned my head back to look at a house from a different angle, thinking my daughter would like that house layout, when I noticed the sun just beginning to peek over the hilltop. I walked a few steps further and stopped to watch the full sunrise, as it burned the clouds away. It never gets old.
Visiting a friend’s Centennial Farm and walking through her gardens as the sun rose in the east above the soybean fields. Totally alone, save the critters who saw me that I did not see.
I didn’t know what a Centennial Farm was — learned it’s a farm that has been in the same family for 100 years or more. Neat! Thanks for the share, Mary.
Nature always. But aging has increased my sense of wonder and awe at this world we live in. At 75, I am still active but slowing down. I approach every day with an awareness that no matter how many years I live, days are numbered. This makes me stop to feel and cherish little, everyday things. Clouds, birds, trees, family, friends, connections to strangers, people connections. So much more. In other words, I am in awe of what we are given in this world. Of course, I have to balance this with daily disappointment in human cruelty in this world. This Grateful Living website helps me focus on the humanity’s good.
Day 4 In Grateful Livings 100 Gratitude Challenge for explains this well: what I am talking about.
Reflect
Imagine if the moon were visible only one night in your entire life or if flowers bloomed only once a decade. How would you organize your life to experience such awe? Isn’t it extraordinary that every day of every year, the sun rises, the stars dazzle, the trees shade, the rivers nourish? Such beauty and mystery! Based on his awe research across cultures and age groups, Dacher Keltner reports: “It is hard to imagine a single thing you can do that is better for your body and mind than finding awe outdoors. Doing so leads to the reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and cancer.” Every day, amidst individual and global struggles, we have the chance to be both dazzled and nourished by the world around us.
Practice
For 5 minutes today, seek awe in the natural world. Whether you’re able to get outside, look through a window, or simply close your eyes and envision your favorite place in nature, document three gifts of the natural world that inspire your awe. Make a simple list, take pictures, record sounds, sketch, call forth memories — whatever heightens your appreciation. What changes when you take time to enjoy and savor these gifts?
Amen to that, I alway always need my nature fix 💕
A poem that fits your thoughts: Cathy Ross: “If the Moon Came Out Only Once a Month”
If the moon came out only once a month
people would appreciate it more. They’d mark it
in their datebooks, take a walk by moonlight, notice
how their bedroom window framed its silver smile.
And if the moon came out just once a year,
it would be a holiday, with tinsel streamers
tied to lampposts, stores closing early
so no one has to work on lunar eve,
travelers rushing to get home by moon-night,
celebrations with champagne and cheese.
Folks would stay awake ’til dawn
to watch it turn transparent and slowly fade away.
And if the moon came out randomly,
the world would be on wide alert, never knowing
when it might appear, spotters scanning empty skies,
weathermen on TV giving odds—“a 10% chance
of moon tonight”—and when it suddenly began to rise,
everyone would cry “the moon is out,” crowds
would fill the streets, jostling and pointing,
night events would be canceled,
moon-closure signs posted on the doors.
And if the moon rose but once a century,
ascending luminous and lush on a long-awaited night,
all humans on the planet would gather
in huddled, whispering groups
to stare in awe, dazzled by its brilliance,
enchanted by its spell. Years later,
they would tell their children, “Yes, I saw it once.
Maybe you will live to see it too.”
But the moon is always with us,
an old familiar face, like the mantel clock,
so no one pays it much attention.
Tonight
why not go outside and gaze up in wonder,
as if you’d never seen it before,
as if it were a miracle,
as if you had been waiting
all your life.
https://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/2013/08/cathy-ross-if-moon-came-out-only-once.html?m=1
Loved this, thank you!
🌕Thank you Barb
Love this poem,
dear Barb! ♥
Ditto
You have written a beautiful and thoughtful reflection,
dear Janet,
and I love how you point out
that our time here is finite
and how important it is to cherish
what is ‘everyday’ awesome.
You remind me of the opening lines of Colette’s
‘Break of Day’ . . .
from a letter written in response to an invitation to visit a friend.
“…and I am touched that you should ask me to come and see her. All the same I’m not going to accept your kind invitation…The reason is that my pink cactus is probably going to flower. It’s a very rare plant I’ve been given, and I’m told that in our climate it flowers only once every four years. Now, I am already a very old woman, and if I went away when my pink cactus is about to flower, I am certain I shouldn’t see it flower again.
So I beg you, Sir, to accept my sincere thanks and my regrets, together with my kind regards.”
♥
Back in June I had one of my best friends daughter stay with me for a few days. She is 25 and has so much adventure in her. She speaks fluent Spanish and quickly learned Portuguese. She just moved to Brazil this past week. She now makes $ off of TikTok teaching English to Portuguese students. She definitely gives me a sense of awe with her courage and bravery.
Happy Saturday everyone.
https://nationaltoday.com/national-relaxation-day/
You too,
dear MIchele,
have had the rare opportunity
to see behind the curtain. 🙂
(in reference to Drea’s mention of the piano teacher above)
Beautifully scented flowers. Citrus blossom, daphne, freesias. Reminding me of my grandmother, who grew all of these and shared the bounty with others.
It sounds like your grandmother
had a beautiful garden,
dear Misty,
that lives on in your memory. ♥
Misty, I love freesias too. They smell soooo sweet.
I had never heard of daphne flowers – my cat’s name is Daphne (named her after Bridgerton Series) naturally I had to look them up – gorgeous beauties they are! Thank you – you made my morning 🙂
I too,
had a beautiful white cat named Daphne,
dear Michele . . .
I had to look the flower up as well. 🙂
It reminds me a bit of mountain laurel. ♥
I looked them up too. I’ve seen them at my favorite lake, had no idea!
The early morning sky, clear of wildfire smoke, filled with stars.
Peace, Love & Light
My father told me,
dear Joseph,
that the sunrises and sunsets in Boulder
were the most spectacular he’d ever seen
after St. Helens erupted in the Northwest.
I’m not sure what that means. ♥
Maybe this is when the bumper stickers came out originally, that say ‘God loves the Broncos, just look at the orange sunsets.!
Oh no,
I hope not,
dear Joseph! 🙁
When Mt. St. Helens erupted in Washington state I was in high school in Spokane. The ash plumes spread far and wide, turning sunrises and sunsets glorious with the color effects, similar to what wildfire smoke does.
Thanks for the correction,
dear Barb. 🙂
The universe al aye holds me in awesomeness! I’m deeply grateful! ☺️ Thank you .
Realizing that my default setting is misery (sorry guys!) why that is and the fact that I can change it.
This has been true for me too at times,
dear Christina . . .
in fact,
it revisited me last night
as I was trying to go to sleep.
At some level
I realized I was welcoming it–
the old, familiar,
but like you,
remembered that I had a choice.
We are all spiritual beings
inhabiting human bodies,
aren’t we? ♥
12 step teaches that suffering happens but misery is optional….remembering that always helps me.
Me too,
dear Carol Ann. ♥
That’s most of our minds and becoming aware is the fist step yo letting it go ! Great job CHRISTINA!
Thank you Antoinette!!