Today I\’d like to honor what Stephanie Morimoto wrote in a beautiful post about nature and overcoming life difficulties.
My favorite line of her beautiful writing was \”the rain had painted beauty in the garden.\” Any seeming difficulties are signs. Signs of how we need to turn a bit more attention to some part of our life… or sometimes, let go and gently turn away from some other aspect of our life…to listen and know which people we should serve more closely…and which ones we should gently love from afar.
While I adore the \”sunniness of the sun,\” rain is welcome to me. I grew up with the drought here so I am so grateful for it. It feels a bit refreshing…and as she discovered, beauty burgeons and beckons in different ways. But of course, after awhile, I certainly welcome the sun back!
Thank you for a moving post, Stephanie, tying in food, our land, nature — into positive life lessons.
Here\’s an excerpt from Stephanie\’s post:
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“Our limited perspective, our hopes and fears, become our measure of life, and when circumstances don’t fit our ideas they become our difficulties.”–Benjamin Franklin
I experienced how to take what Benjamin Franklin said and flip it on its head…I was able to transform those difficulties into inspirations…
So I thought, why not apply this concept to other areas of my life? For instance, the rainy, chilly weather we’ve been having lately has been bumming me out. Every morning I’d get up, make my cup of tea, and be itching to go outside and garden, but the drizzle would dissuade me.
The other day, though, when there was a lull in the downpour, I decided to get over it. I thought the soil may have dried out just enough for me to get the garlic and favas in the ground, so I grabbed my trowel and tromped outside.
I was able to plant the garlic and favas. But the thing that was even more exciting was seeing that the rain had painted beauty in the garden. Fat water droplets hung on the bronze fennel, decorating it into something reminiscent of a Christmas tree (highly appropriate for this time of year).
…Experiencing this day in the garden brought what I believe Franklin’s point was home for me. We each have the power to transform circumstances that can seem difficult, irritating, depressing (or whatever) into something easier, fun, or inspiring. We just have to change our perspectives: turn upside down, push ourselves outside, and see the world just a little bit differently.