One of the things that fascinates me most about growing okra is the flower. Absolutely beautiful!! The pods may be what eventually make their way into the kitchen, but the bloom always makes me pause first.
As I zoomed in on this particular flower, I began seeing
all kinds of things hidden in its patterns, mostly food, of course. I saw an
egg sandwich, beef patties, Oreo cookies, slices of liver, butterfly antennae,
and probably a few other things my hungry imagination had no business placing
inside an okra flower.
So, am I doing too much? Romanticizing? Fantasizing? Or am
I simply appreciating the beauty all around us, the beauty we sometimes fail to
notice or acknowledge?
Maybe life is not going the way we anticipated. Maybe
disappointment has taught us not to hope for much. Or perhaps we have simply
become so busy, so familiar with our surroundings, or so absorbed in our own
little worlds that we no longer look closely at the different world blooming
around us.
Life is wonderfully
multidimensional. The same okra flower can be a promise of food, a small piece
of art, a home for patterns and colors, or, apparently, a complete menu. Sometimes
I cannot help but marvel at how much beauty surrounds us and how easily we take
it for granted.
Perhaps wonder does not always require a new place or a grand experience. Sometimes it asks us to slow down, zoom in, and notice what has been there all along.
Have you ever imagined what our world would look like
without flowers? And what beauty might be right in front of you today, waiting
for you to notice it?
Wonder does not always require a new world. Sometimes it asks us to look more closely at the one already blooming around us.
Garden & Reflections offers a glimpse into the experiences and everyday lessons that shape me beyond the therapy room. These personal reflections are shared thoughtfully while honoring the professional boundaries of the counseling relationship.