Greetings, dear family and friends,
How are you today? I hope all is well and you are moving sweetly into a restful and relaxing weekend. Here I am once more with my weekly ritual of writing The Sunny Optimist. I so enjoy this time each week, and I am now on my 90th episode!. What has been so inspiring for me is that I have not missed a week. My dedication has surprised me, and I continue to be amazed that I never seem to run out of ideas. So, this week, we are going on an exploration of the evolutionary contribution of the flower.
I hope you enjoy it:)
When David and I are out and about on our daily walks, I find my attention called to the flowers. I love how they signal the maturing of the springtime season. We started with snowdrops in February, and then into March, there were daffodils, and just this week, I was aware of crocuses peeping through the earth. So heartwarming.
In his profoundly inspiring book, A New Earth: Awakening to your Life’s Purpose, Eckhart Tolle describes how the emergence of flowering plants led to a burst of evolutionary innovation. I found it fascinating that with the ability to bloom, plants moved into a co-evolutionary relationship with insects. The plants adapted their colour and shape to attract insects. The insects, in turn, adapted their bodies to access the nectar. With the arrival of fruit, mammals joined in with this co-evolving dance. Then with the arrival of humans, Ekhart says that;
“Seeing beauty in a flower could awaken humans, however briefly, to the beauty that is an essential part of their innermost being, their true nature. The first recognition of beauty was one of the most significant events in the evolution of human consciousness. The feelings of joy and love are intrinsically connected to that recognition.
Mmmm So evocative. I could feel myself appreciating, remembering and connecting. It is lovely to appreciate how something as small and as delicate as a flower has been so impactful on our ecology. I wonder if we humans will be able to return to this co-evolutionary dance with all of Life? I do hope so, as it feels so needed at this time.
Guided Visualisation : The Flower
I have recorded the April visualisation called The Flower from the lovely little book Meditations through the Year by Dorothea Breitzer-Kings. Her words have a simplicity and elegance that is just delightful. Dorothea walks us through a large garden where we spend time with a wide array of flowers. For me, the best part was sitting down and looking deeply into a flower, taking in all of its beauty. Then Dorothea invites me to enter the flower as a bee does. To 'be' within the flower. I love this, and it was a remarkably centering experience. I felt refreshed and renewed afterwards. I hope you enjoy this too.
Click here or on the photo below to access the recording. Deep gratitude to Tim Uffindell for the piano accompaniment.
I love the photograph above, which just invites you to dive in. It seems to me to reflect the pulsating power of Life and feels reminiscent of the birth of a star.
Over the weekend, if you have space, I invite you to sit with a flower and marvel at its simplicity and power.
Questions for the Week
Here are my questions for you to consider.
Where are your walks that connect you with the flowers of springtime?
What happened when you sat in contemplation with the flower?
Are there insights there that open you to your true nature?
As always, I would love to hear from you.
So much appreciation for sharing this journey with you.
Ann
There are often more flowers in a garden than one is ever aware of. I did learn the names of lots of flowers as a small child but I’ve forgotten most of them now. This does not detract from the marvel of seeing so many beautiful specimens. It’s perhaps wonderful also that not knowing the names means they are even more spectacular. A week ago I took photographs of about a dozen flowers in my parents back garden which I hope to use for cd sleeves of my own recordings of my short stories.
Yes there are so many sudden images that come into vision when taking a slow walk through the landscape. And again it’s like music. So many images come to mind there too. I send lots of best cheery wishes to you for the rest of the week and lots of sunlight for the brightness of all the flowers of the heart
It’s a great day. Take care. Richard 😀