Be Still And Know

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wild blows cold: when it is summer in the sunlight and winter in the shade.” - Charles Dickens, Great Expectations.

This quote fits this day perfectly.

The saunter through the woods, into the mountain that led to the high look out over Lake Pend Oreille, was the kind that blows away the cobwebs and freshens the soul. The sounds of the melting snow as it increased the streams making it pick up the pace with every drop as if saying quick, quick, quickly now lets see who can get to the bottom first. The crisp breeze tussled my auburn hair making the long curly locks blow this way and that. I tucked it under my baseball cap and turned my face into the warm sunshine to take the chill away. The sun dappled forest offered a respite from the feeling of the weight of responsibility that lay on my weary shoulders.

There was plenty of work waiting to be done back on my shabby little farm tucked away in the awakening pine forest - But it could wait… just for a little while as I took the time to refresh my soul and come back to a place of peace. Time can only be made to stand still when one is in the midst of crisis, in total bliss or when retreating to the secret places that the mountains hide. Sometimes the best thing to do is to sneak away to these sacred timeless moments and pause letting the swaying trees, trickling creeks and motionless stones remind you to be and not do.

After traipsing through the shrinking patches of snow, the soft sandy path that was making my boots slide this way and that and the shadowy places that offered somewhat solid ground to tread on I found that my peace had been restored and I was ready to get back to the tasks that waited patiently to be attended to.

The strenuous garden work felt good after being cooped up in the cabin all winter. The sun shone strong and brightly for the first time since the turn of the new year. The day lengthened and the smell of the damp earth filled my senses. I stripped away last years growth from a well established garden bed and discovered new life laying there underneath. Daffodils by the dozen were pushing up through the earth reaching for the golden light. I feel alive and completely at peace when I am in my garden. The spirit is unhindered by the hum of electronics. My mind is open to creative and restorative thoughts. Being grounded to the rhythm of the seasons. It’s the same tasks year after year yet I never grow weary of them. Each spring there is something new to discover, the growth is encouraging.
Soon my daughter will be filling our house with fragrant and colorful blooms of daffodils, peony, roses and an assortment of others. As much as I love them in the garden I love to see her smile more. This year I shall let her pick as many flowers as she likes to arrange and place within the bedrooms, living room and dining room. I will always have daffodils in the garden, but I won’t always have my little girl skipping about, humming happily to herself with a lovely fragrant bouquet in her tiny hands. Of course I will teach her to always leave a few for the bees.

Times of lack have a peculiar way of making one grateful of the little moments. The tiny treasures hidden throughout the day. - such as the spectacularly small pinecones I found nestled in some fallen leaves in the middle of the muddy trail. They were begging to be taken home in my cozy pocket as a gift for my daughter. I knew she would delight in their small beauty as I did.

If only we have the eyes to see the little things the world would become a more peaceful place.

As I worked away I quietly listened to the spirit’s whispers and my children’s giggles. They were not far off sitting in another soon to be garden bed. An assortment of tiny cars, shovels and lego action figures were strewn about the soil and their toes. Though the earth remained frozen in the shadows it was workable in the sunshine - The children laughed and squealed with delight as if this was the first time they’d felt the dirt squish between their little fingers. The sounds made me smile to myself. In their delight to play where I’d carefully plotted out for them they did not realize that they were in fact working. Weeds went flying this way and that. As their tiny shovels plunged into the garden bed over and over again the soil was being prepared for seeds. I did not spoil the secret. The children nor the garden suspected a thing.

My life continues to reflect my garden in the most beautiful way. Much work has been done to restore the land as well as my life. It has yet to see its glory days, but I sense them coming much like the daffodils that will soon bloom. I look forward to seeing their bright and cheerful yellow petals swaying in the gentle spring breeze perhaps shrouded by a few last snowflakes of winter before he bows low to spring and takes his leave.

There are times when creative works flow forth from my sprit naturally and freely. This is one of those times where the words came to me as my fingers were covered in the cold and damp garden soil. I wrote them down as soon as I came inside my warm and cozy cabin. I hope that when you come to this blog you feel a fresh breeze that blows the cobwebs away and you are able to find rest and peace within the words.

Learn & Grow

Esther Munroe

Daffodils bursting forth from their winter slumber.