Long Beach—May 2nd
Yesterday sparkled with warm sunshine and geraniums popping in amidst mysterious giant succulent blooms that I cannot name, but today? Misty fog blanketing the canal over yonder and pigeons cooing, discussing life amongst shorebirds.
My mother is everywhere.
My mother was a scholar, and as such, anything and everything that crossed her path was investigated and committed to memory immediately. In the mix? FLOWERS…and whenever my eyes catch sight of a geranium, I hear my mother, “Geraniums don’t smell like much but they are hardy warriors that can grow just about anywhere. I feel as if they should have originated in China, as they resemble the blossoms in Chinese art, but they in fact came from South Africa! And did you know that you can grow an entire new plant many times over from a simple cutting?”….and BIRDS…whenever a pigeon was spied nearby, “Oh bother. Pigeons! I don’t like pigeons. They make a mess and are not very interesting. I can do without them.”
Mom. The yin and yang and here you are, making sure I feel your presence at this moment, however, Mom, I love pigeons. They putz around with each other and coo continually whilst putzing. Herein a massage: may we all cheerily carry on and chat about it while living life in our flock, whilst welcoming other flocks to participate however they choose.
The phrase ‘we must stand within our humanity’ found my ears two days ago, while contemplating joining the masses once again in a demonstration in downtown LA.
‘We must stand within our humanity’.
What does this mean? At this moment in time?
I believe it means that we each must find our own unique balance between our joys, our gifts, our values, our raison d’etre and go from there…to contribute towards this world’s growth. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, ’Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits’. As a culture we seem to hold that kindness is not a vehicle for change. But then again, the contagious quiet that spiritual teachers create in silence is a miracle to behold.
Now?
To be a geranium in Long Beach, California.
To be a pigeon coo-ing and putzing while shore birds gracefully step among them, occasionally squeaking, but all respectfully going about their business separately together.
Where to begin?