Dear Sweet Violets

Violets are blooming in the lawn. Dear sweet violets.

Violets are such an old-fashioned flower. Being edible, they are very pretty in salads. Or imagine having the time to make candied violets. Imagine having the time to pick a violet bouquet!

The violet's heart-shaped leaves remind us to practice good will and loving-kindness

Bird's-Eye View

Yesterday, i went for lunch to a friend's third-floor apartment. The window beside the kitchen table looked out on a budding maple tree, which made me feel like i was in a tree house. Those buds and tiny flowers are beautiful up close--30 feet up in the air. A real bird's-eye view.

If we had a bird's eye view of our life, how would it look? Encased in our five or six feet of skin, flesh, and bone, it all feels up close and personal. Very I-me-mine.

But what if we could look at that person walking down the street in our body or driving a car from an altitude? What if we could see the big picture?

Hmmm, we might say. She's so worried, so busy in her own mind, and she's really missing the beauty all around her.

Like the spring green springing forth Like the budding maple trees. Oh, joy! Joy is right here.

The Squirrels Plant My Bulbs

I'm not too happy when the snowplow "transplants" some my perennials for me, but i rather enjoy it when those rascal squirrels and chipmunks transplant various bulbs.

Squill

Walking on a woodland path, i find cobalt blue squill. Now how did that get here? Near another path, I have a colony of the aptly named squirrel corn, a relative of Dutchmen's breeches. And how did that get there?
 

Squirrel Corn

I guess squirrels are gardeners too. I knew they planted acorns, and now i know they plant bulbs and wildflowers.

What are we planting today, this week in our minds and in our hearts?

You can't beat that perennial bloomer, mindfulness.

Anthuriums on the Altar

At my most recent meditation retreat, 2 bouquets of anthuriums sat on the altar next to the Buddha. I loved looking at the shiny red heart-shaped flowers before i closed my eyes for an hour of meditation.

When i arrived at the meditation center, Dorothy from Hilo, Hawai'i registered me. Hmmm. Last time i was in Hilo, i went to the farmers market where anthuriums cost $1 per bunch. I wondered if Dorothy had brought these anthuriums with her. At the end of the 8-day silent retreat, i asked Dorothy, and she smiled.

Her generosity rippled out to provide this pleasant reminder of our heart practice. Loving-kindness in action.

Snow on Daffodils

The earliest daffodils were snowed upon 2 weeks ago, so they remain bent over. They bloom facing the ground instead of the sky.

It doesn't seem fair when people's bodies are prematurely disabled, perhaps from birth, perhaps from an early accident or disease. Some people die well before what we think of as an allotted lifespan.

My neighbor's son has been disabled from birth. That doesn't stop him from fully enjoying his life. One of the great programs our community offers is the Theater Adventure program. (Watch a YouTube here.) Every time i go to one of their productions, my heart swells with the love and care these people have for each other and a few tears come to my eyes.

Some flowers are bent over from an early age, and only a few people notice them.

Naturalizing Wildflowers

Several years ago, i planted some bloodroot in my white garden. This ephemeral spring wildflower is dainty and doesn't last long. I've been happy to see it spreading and jumping into other flower beds. This spring, i have several patches of bloodroot in several flowerbeds. Oh, joy!

This process of wildflowers spreading themselves around in a new environment is called "naturalizing." Bloodroot have made themselves at home and naturalized themselves in my flower beds.

The Dharma is naturalizing itself in my life, i am happy to report. The first seed of Dharma was planted when i was 30 years old, and now it is flowering all over my life.

Oh, joy!

Sweet Parsnips

While cleaning up the vegetable garden this afternoon, i found parsnips! Oh, right. I planted those last April. I immediately dug them up. They were small and hairy with roots, but i was going to be home alone for dinner, so i could eat as i pleased.

Fried in butter and salted. Oh, my. Melt in your mouth. And they were all mine.

It's wonderful to harvest a beautiful mind state--perhaps one we planted quite a while ago and have sort of forgotten about. I've been working on basic friendliness. Simply acting like a friend toward people i know as well as people i don't know. As an introvert, feeling at ease with people is not my strong suit.

Yet, yesterday i managed to act friendly and conversational toward people i barely know. Sweet!