When I first started dabbing in gardening, I went straight for practical vegetables. I didn’t really like it so I decided to switch focus to herbs a few years later. Finally, and to my surprise, I transferred my little gardening hands to the flowers.
This surprised me. Because as a hardworking midwesterner, I have always been the “time is precious” kind of person. If you’re going to spend time on something (even if it’s just a summer hand), it should give you the best bang for your money. Vegetables and herbs enhance my overall health and therefore deserve my time. So why did I get attracted to unrealistic flowers?
In his book Awakening to the Purpose of Your Life, Eckhard Thor speaks of realistic flowers as the first surprise of the earth. Flower viewing was probably the very first time in all beings where something was appreciated for something other than survival.
This idea of changing values makes me smile. But that makes me uncomfortable. That suggests that my efforts aren’t always rewarded. It stung a bit. It means that I might end up spending my precious time on something that doesn’t help me or the world in a practical way. If I were to be honest, it scares me. My ego wants to say that if my work is not worth it, I won’t do that either.
But there is a lesson from flowers. The only value you need is the value of being a flower. The only thing we need is simply here and simply human. We are just precious. No work is required.
Again, my ego wants to vent and speak about things that hinder life and responsibility. And it seems all great until we’re working hard on something and it’s in a situation that’s not rewarding, until we find ourselves. And that same ego us with unworthy things.
You are important. No work is required.
Until next time,
Roller