I’ve always been drawn to blossoms. They are beautiful and fragile. Fleeting. I never realized it when I was young but now that I’m older, blossoms signify something completely different for me.
Blossoms remind me to slow down and appreciate the present. Because at one moment, the blossoms are there – splendid in their simplicity as the soft petals flutter in the breezes of the early morning. Then, poof. They’re gone. Plucked from the branches and showered onto the dirt. But what they leave behind is the start of new growth. Soon after the blossoms fly away, trees begin to blossom in another way. Fresh, delicate leaves begin to unfurl. As the days go by, the leaves grow and strengthen. And soon, it would take strong winds or curious little hands to pluck a leaf away from its branch.
The cycle repeats year after year. Each blossoming tree having its own season of beauty and repose.
Each year, the tree grows bigger, stronger, and “wiser.” Its roots digging deeper into the soils, grounding it to the earth. Making her more stable.
Life is crazy and fast. Like a blossom tree we all have a cycle of beauty and repose — a time to shine and a time to rest.
But unlike a tree, you have control over when you shine and when you are Beauty in every sense of the word. These are those times, you are feeling accomplished, active, healthy, and unstoppable. All is good in your world.
Repose is when you begin to slow down and maybe go into yourself. Don’t let this discourage you. You are recharging and getting ready for your next burst of glory. Allow this time. We have been brainwashed to stay busy. But busy without purpose is a waste of time and your time is precious. Remember you need care too and self-care is just as important as taking care of all your responsibilities.
Believe me when I say I completely understand. I’m in the same boat. The expectations we’ve put on ourselves as parents, as spouses/partners, and as working people are extraordinarily high. I don’t think it’s realistic. And we end up in a cycle of self-doubt and frustration; instead of embracing our natural gentle cycles like the blossom tree. We’ve become more like tornadoes — destructive, fast, then completely spent, and then nothing.
I’m a simple person. But as a mom, wife, and having a day job — life is busy. I’m pretty good at distancing myself from negative people and situations, but that doesn’t mean I live in a bubble. There is still plenty that gets me stressed out. Sometimes, all I can do is look out the kitchen window as I’m washing the dishes and look at the neighbor’s blossoming trees. I watch and I try to quiet my mind.
Most times it’s enough to ground me and remind me to push my ‘reset’ button, but there are days when I have to take an aggressive walk around the block. LOL!
Find your cycle of beauty and repose.
The sun sets every day to allow the moon to bathe us in her soft beams. Sun and Moon. Eternal. Cosmic cycle.
With this post, my goal was to share a small lesson in slowing down and paying attention to your inner gentleness. It is there. Find your cycle. Remember her/him again. 🙂
