Words from the Heart

 - Oasis -  (c) 2019 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas The rippling melody of water trickling into the pond immediately triggers a Pavlovian response. Cares and worries seem to melt off my shoulders. The birds sing harmony to the pond's fluid notes.  The sun is bright, but still not hot as it has just peaked the green fringe of North Sugarloaf. I kneel before the garden, like a disciple before an altar. A zephyr gently moves the hair from my eyes, as a bend to clean winter's waste from around the verdant seedlings that are now appearing. In this Sacred Space, my mind focuses on those I have promised to pray for over the past weeks. I picture each person like the tiny shoots sprouting before me, whole and full of life. I dig my hands deep into the mulch asking for forgiveness for the times I didn't want to get my hands dirty. I stake and secure stems too weak to stand against wind and rain as I offer prayers of gratitude for that which supports me and all those I love....

Summer days are getting shorter. The time for harvest will soon be upon us, along with the new school year, and a multitude of holidays. Seems like, this year, summer relaxation was usurped by the craziness of politics and the constant battle to keep peace and hope alive. But, as I sit mid-afternoon, with the sun pouring warmth onto my desktop and the green smell of a garden resplendent in the full bloom brought by warm days with plenty of rain, I am grateful.  Creator of all I see,  hear my thanks. Know that for each blossom I behold,  for each tree I hug, for each blade of grass that gently cups my foot, I give thanks. As the days diminish into autumnal splendor, give me the grace to see the beauty in a garden gone by, bless me with the faith to know that the magic of nature is not always seen, but is always there. Thank you, blessed Gardener, for the turn of the seasons and all they bring to us.