June 2011 ~ The Art of Presence

Just A Thought ~ 2011 > June 2011 ~ The Art of Presence

June 2011 ~ The Art of Presence

Feb 7, 2012

Sometimes I tend to procrastinate and I find that it comes easy for me to deny my priorities and give way to the less demanding tasks at hand. In fact, I have noticed that I am able to consume plenty of time keeping myself busy with the busy work and allow less time doing the work that I am called to do. I guess this is due to laziness and lack of focus at times, however, in the past I found that it was easier to answer the call of other peoples needs and found it more difficult to pursue my own needs.

I will admit that since I have become more aware of this tendency I have taken more time to engage myself in what some people would call the simple things. Almost every morning, while walking my dog Sophie in the neighborhood, I walk by a house that I have become fond of and look forward to seeing. One of the more attractive qualities that this single story home has is that there is a row of rose bushes lining one side of the concrete driveway dappled with yellow, ivory, pink, and red colors. There were many times that I passed by the house admiring the flowers and wanting to take a few steps towards them so I could lean over and enjoy the fragrance that was reserved for the people who made the effort. I always had some sort of excuse not to smell them either due to the idea that I was pushed for time or burdened with the thought of what people would think, and of course, I did not want to cross that invisible line that was instilled in me.

One day, I was drawn to a budding rose and smelled its gift of beauty to the fullest extent. I would have loved to have taken several roses home with me however I resisted the temptation to “take.” I had learned that it is not necessary to possess something in order to enjoy it and allow it to let it just be a gift and leave it as is. I felt a simple joy in my heart and a smile graced my face as I continued walking towards home.

About three months ago I noticed that the owners were moving and the movers were loading the truck. There were so many mornings that I had wanted to tell them how much their rose bushes had meant to me on my morning walks and now they were moving. While I strolled past the house I didn’t see the owners in the yard nor did I make an effort to go out of my way to find them. I knew that I had wanted to express my gratitude for what I considered to be works of art, in my life, and in that moment, I chose not to listen. That morning, I did not smell the roses.

The house has stood vacant since then and the rose bushes are no longer vibrant with their budding gifts for the world to see. There is no one there, present, to care for them and tend to their needs, and so, they have wilted in the heat and have not flourished as they once did. Why did I pass by this now abandoned house and not fully partake of the beauty that was shared by the homeowners who so lovingly tended to their magnificent creations? Whatever it was that once held me back from living in the moment years ago was cast aside when I learned to never take another step for granted again.

What made the house a home was not the stucco that plastered the house nor was it the rows of rose bushes. To me, it was the gardener(s) who not only lived there but who were present to the needs of the home. The rose bushes represent to me how a little love, care, patience, tenderness and time can go a long way not only to the gardener but to those who see what we produce. We may never know everyone who is affected by the flowers we plant, the ones we fertilize, the weeds we pull, and the flowers that remain so others may pass by and admire them in their natural state. On the other hand we also may never realize who saw us smell, or touch, or just simply appreciate their works of art that we witness throughout our lifetimes.

For the past two years, I have reminded myself to “take time to smell the roses” and this house has been a constant reminder to me every morning. And I need reminders to help me as I can get so easily entangled in the menagerie that surfaces in life, at times. This morning as I passed by the driveway, I found one rose that was left amongst the dead roses. Though the faded rose was nearing the end of its life and the outer beauty was diminishing, I was still drawn to it as it represents to me all of the stages in life that we all have in common. For the beauty of life is not only in the living but is mostly found in the giving of where we are in the present moment of our precious lives.

This daily symbolic gift from The Universe is a display for me to see where I can be the gardener in my life. I find that it is in the simple things that I receive the most genuine pleasure and expect the least from and receive the most valuable lifelong lessons. I feel blessed when I am able to recognize these special moments that are planted throughout my life as I play with Sophie or talk to the kids in my neighborhood or just help plan a community social with my neighbors. I don’t have to be anything special, anymore, or be famous for doing something I’m not called to do or be remembered for who I no longer am. For in this moment, I am the gardener of my life planting seeds and sometimes just admiring another’s creation and that is enough for me.

Perhaps the beauty of the gift is not in its ability to be priced but experienced by the individual who may one day truly see it as priceless.

Michaelene
Intuitive Consultant (Personal, Business, Hospice)
www.Sun2SoulTransitions.com
602.535.5463
Copyright 2011

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