Sometimes, I just come to this space and have no idea of what to write. Sometimes I have so much going on I don’t know where to start. Sometimes I come here and feel like writing nothing at all and so I don’t. At other times still, I open this page and feel as though it has a mind of its own, pulling bits and pieces together from places my mind has wandered into, creating something I never intended to sit down and write in the first place.
Most times, I start by looking at my pictures and what they are trying to tell me…where I am at, how I am feeling, what I can share. More often than not, they seem to hold secret messages for me. Tonight, I feel a conglomeration of ideas coming together in my mind. At the top of it all, is a child, a someday future farmer, working next to his mother to transplant organic seedlings that they worked together to grow from seeds right in their own backyard earlier on in the season.
Here, I paint a picture of this child, learning and obtaining the knowledge of how to grow his own food. He learns to make a difference in his community, no matter how small, by donating some of the food he grows to others, not for profit, but just because it feels right. Understanding and compassion are planted in his soul, alongside the seeds he helped to plant in the soil; both grow and are nurtured by life. The real, true, organic, natural cycle of life…the one where things grow and things die, but there are no artificial injections into either aspect. Instead, they are simply allowed to just be what and how they are and always were intended to be.
Sometimes, especially when I let my mind wander a bit too far, I get confused…about what is real…and what is not. I get confused over what I should and what I should not be expending my energy on caring so much about…and what to just let go. What things are simply illusions? My answer: I am not so sure. Marriage equality, Boston bombings, labeling GMOs…not to mention I am a little bit worried that it was snowing a week ago and now it is a sweating 90 degrees outside.
When trying to make a difference, anywhere in life…I know have to start at the heart of it all. For me, it’s the path I am walking…a bit off the beaten path, with my children by my side. I know it’s my choice to see that I am doing the best I can, striving to live the life I want to live and pass on to my children. My heart swells when I see the first sprouts peeking out of the soil. I am proud when I start my seeds that grow into seedlings and go on to produce a full harvest to nourish myself and my family. It’s hard to see things that promote fear and worry, in the big picture that do not mesh with what I know could be there, or rather what is there beneath a few layers. It can feel overwhelming wondering how I can conquer the world and its issues.
I have been starting to think about something a little deeper than even all of this. And to sum it all up I would use one word: optimism. Often, when I find myself bombarded with facts, I kind of get depressed. I feel that the world at large is an amplified reflection of that which is within…ourselves. What our world needs amplified more than anything right now…is happiness and optimism; optimism that there are good things here and much more to stem from what that is; optimism that we are all on the right path, both in our lives and in this journey with our planet; optimism that it’s all good, because it is. We have very little control over the different challenges our society faces. What we do have control over is how we live our lives. When more people live each day full of joy and happiness…true, real happiness… our world will see a huge shift. And to do that we have to be living our passions.
All I have to do to see the good stuff, is to take a moment to snap some pictures of my seedlings, or look into the sparkling curious eyes of my little farmer boy, or sit in silence after everyone is tucked into bed…listening to the rain tippity tap tapping down on Mother Earth as the frogs sing their springtime song. Life is good. It really is. And I guess that is my simple message today, for myself and for you, is that life is good. And how important it is to focus on everything that is beautiful and true. Stand up for what you believe and honor your truth. Live life to the fullest and embrace every moment you have. Lead by example. And remember to smile and be proud of the life you are living.
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