Hello friend,
I love nature, the streaks of clouds across the sky, glorious sunsets, the glow of a mystical moon, and always flowers. Flowers never disappoint—until they do.
Confession: Seeds rarely sprout in my flower gardens. I have, I am almost certain, planted thousands of seeds. A few resulted in healthy blooming plants to delight the eye.
Given that fact, I remain undeterred. If anything, I am persistent. If you watch the natural world, you likely noticed how some plants come back year after year without fail. Here’s the kicker: no one planted them.
Dandelions seed themselves, or you help them along by blowing their seeds through the air, making a wish. Wildflowers sway in the breeze along the highways or in the lawn. No one planted them.
With this observation in mind, I reasoned that if I harvested the seeds from the marigolds and zinnias, I could propagate a hearty harvest of color. I spent hours in the fall pulling off seed pods, storing them in a dry place until spring.
Spring came. I planted all those seeds, gave them a good dose of organic fertilizer, watered, when necessary, and waited.
No little green leaves popping up from the earth. It’s May. No flowers.
Disappointment.
Failure.
I can’t do this.
How often do we say those words to ourselves about our efforts? Life is full of disappointments, large and small.
I surveyed the gardens. Bare with a few lonely sprouts. I could give up, always an option. Instead, I went straight to the garden center and found a few healthy specimens to fill the barest areas. Good enough for now.
Then, I made a plan. What did I need to learn about effective seed propagation? What was I doing well and right, and what more did I need to know?
As the garden goes, so do the cliffs, valleys, and summits of our days. I could mope and complain, never plant another seed, or dig deeper.
I have and will continue to face days when my hopes and expectations fall short. Hope is not a noun, a thing.
Hope requires only one step, then another. Hope keeps us moving.
Change is coming.
On May 22, “Inspiring Your Best” weekly post turns five years old. I began sharing words of joy, peace, happiness, and hope during the dark days of the COVID pandemic. The world had enough stressful news, and I wanted to counter the bad and ugly with lighter and more uplifting fare.
As I looked through this body of work, I noticed a shift in topics, writing style, and my photography. I saw bits and pieces of life.
Next week, you will notice a new name and a slightly different layout. Thank you for reading, for encouraging me, and for showing up. I leave you this week . . .
With gratitude,
Kathryn
And . . .Don’t Stop Believin’
If you would like to read more from me, visit my website. I’ll be waiting for you there.
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