Mourning Dove

This morning while I was making toast and coffee, I looked out onto our porch and noticed a mourning dove in one of our hanging baskets. The basket is planted with an asparagus fern, but apparently there's still enough room for two mourning doves (the second popped its head up right after I saw the first) and, I hope hope hope, a nest! In their honor, I've selected this as today's Nature Quote:

"Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission." - Mourning Dove, a member of the Native American Salish tribe

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Blooming

Spring is springing out all over down here and it's gotten me to thinking about one of my mother's favorite phrases, "Bloom where you're planted."

I've always enjoyed the concept of being happy where you are, but never really delved into it.  Now, surrounded by tulips and daffodils and blooming dogwoods and crabapples and pear trees and peach trees and wisteria, I'm thinking about it and getting a better grip on it.

"Bloom where you're planted" isn't just a simple instruction - if we follow the flowers' example, it's a step-by-step guide to a joyful life:

1.  Start by sending out roots into your community.  If you stay tightly closed in your seed shell, you'll be dark and lonely forever, so break out, get out immediately!  Explore and let your feelers find for you places of nature that will inspire you, places of culture that will excite you, and (most importantly) friends that will nourish you.

2.  Once you've got your roots taking up nutrition, learn to absorb the place and the people, go slow and take in the good parts while leaving the not so good parts alone, but without judgement.

3.  Push through the muck till you see sunlight.  Persevere.  

4.   Keep growing.  Stand tall and strong, but let yourself be flexible so that you can dance in the breeze.  

5.  When the sun is warm and you are well rooted and nourished, open up and share all the best you have to give.  You are wise and beautiful; feel the sunshine on your cheeks and know that you are reflecting that light to the world in a way only you can.  You are beautiful.  You are a miracle and a blessing all wrapped up into one - just like the blossoms of spring.

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