Tea and Lillies

It is raining again today. A soft summer rain that is just managing to take the edge off the heat. As I go through the morning routine, I notice how bright the lillies look with their watery dressing. There they are in their slendor splendor, a riot of yellows, oranges and rosey-pinks, with a few deep purple blooms unfurled in the mix. This riot of color contrasted against the sea of green seems to shout rebelliously to the weather.

Nature's way of reminding me how wonderful the world is, even on the cloudiest of days. The cardamon in my tea smells delicious, lifted up as it is by a hint of vanilla. Between its warmth and the beauty outside my window I can feel my spirit expanding. I can sense it unfurling, much like the petals of these lillies I love so much, to greet the day.

These flowers came from Georgia. A gift of the heart. Culled by my mother and father and sent to me. Their yearly blooming brings me not just the joy of the flowers themselves, but also the gift of their presence. Just as this tea gives me the warmth of times spent with friends and family. I feel bouyed by the color and scent of the day and somehow know that this soft summer rain is just what I need.

Here in the quiet beginnings of the day I can sense all the wonder and beauty of the world. I can feel it beginning to thrum through me, a soft pulse. I am ever so much more than ready to step out into this day and absorb the feel of it, like silk on my skin - vibrant colored silk, flowing and swirling around me, carrying me along and enveloping this day in its bounty.

It makes me pause for a moment to reflect. It seems that this world of ours is made to be lived in. It is not made to be viewed from a distance or observed. The scents, sights and sounds, all of it are here to embue their elegance and vigor into our spirits; provide us the nutrients required to truly grow and thrive. How is it that so often we miss this connection? Is it any wonder that our daily lives can seem so fragmented when we disconnect from these roots?

Sipping my tea, I return to the vision of my garden and all that it represents. I will not be cutting a blossom to take with me. I do not need to. They are already a part of me and perhaps I am a part of them.