Seasonal Advice

There is beauty all around us-if we will just stop long enough to find it. This picture was taken by me on a day that I called in sick to work. I had had it with the fast-paced-no-time-to-enjoy life-rush-rush-rush routine I was stuck in. I decided that I needed to take a day off if for no other reason than because I needed to in order to preserve my own sanity. As life would have it this day was spent cleaning up a couple of month's worth of chaos instead of taking in a chick flick and then napping...but que sera sera.

I hated the fact that the hours flew by but I relished the fact that I was the master of my time that day. In the middle of mopping the floor I just stopped and walked outside. I grabbed my camera and took a stroll around our property snapping pictures at will. While I was on my back porch I was able to marvel at the seedums we have planted in baskets attached to our porch rails. I truly appreciated being able to stop and stare at each leaf, stem, and precious bud. When I start to think of all of the things that I am missing out on by being confined to the four walls of my job I get extremely frustrated. But knowing that I have to be there I make myself see the beauty in all that surrounds me there as well. I do love the kids and wish that I had more time to just listen to them and what they have to say. So many parents would be amazed at the independence their children possess when they are not around.

I am glad that I had the day to stop and observe the flowers for all too soon they will close up and wither away. But I have learned that we all go through 'seasons' in our lives where we aren't as shiny and open as we would like to be. We sometimes feel like closing up and withering away. But, after a time of quiet and self reflection, we bloom again. Our true beauty never really goes away despite the harsh conditions thrust upon us. As long as our roots run deep and are clinging to the right kind of sustenance we will open ourselves up again when the time is right.