Freesias and the Imagination

The freesias uncovered a childhood memory.

The first year the freesias bloomed from the bulbs that I planted deep in the ground, I was really happy to see them gracing my garden.

The years pass; every spring the flowers bring beauty and its light, delicate scent, almost like baby powder.

Then one day when I looked at the freesias, a memory from long ago came to my mind.

I remember when I was a very young girl, a page of a nursery rhyme book made a big impact on me.

It was a picture of Little Miss Muffet. She was in her garden, and the detail in the illustration that really captured me was the colorful flowers drawn with little feminine faces.

The freesias took me on that long journey back, to that piece of art that had so captivated me. I saw that little flower faces again, with their big, twinkling eyes and petals for hats.

Maybe, the freesias reminded me of the shape of the flowers; or maybe it is one of the mysterious ways that the mind recollects.

And it made me think: in a wooden house in the tropics, a little girl sees a picture of English flowers. But in the imagination of a child, unsullied by limitations, her mind is free to travel wherever it wants to go.

And that power of the imagination, ideally, should never go away.

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The Journey of Flowers

The Hong Kong Orchid in full boom. And  along the way, it also took on fascinating shapes.

Spending time in the garden has taught me a lot of things.

Not just about plants and soil, but also other things, such as developing patience. Being patient, while waiting for a seed to sprout, or for a new plant to show buds of color and beauty. Being patient while the plants shuts down for winter, or shed its leaves, looking bare and undecorative.

I also learn that some plants may not root, and also sometimes, you can’t give up on a wilting plant, and that it can be nurtured back to health.

But walking in my garden in late summer, I was reminded of a life lesson I had been guilty of forgetting: that in my focus to reach my destination, I sometimes forget to really enjoy the journey or the stops along the way.

It took several walks in the morning or early evening for me to notice the flowers in various stages of bloom. It was as though I had never really paid attention to this before.

The Hong Kong Orchid, in its first few stages of blooms, astounded me with a geometrical-like shape. The baby plumeria spiraled outward with verve, reminding me of a top.

The flowers “talked” to me. And so I have to thank my garden for leading me back to this awareness. Thus, this year, I will remind myself that on the way to my goal or to whatever else I desire, I will be mindful to enjoy the journey, and not just the destination.

The bud took on a crisp, geometric angle as the petals unfold.

The plumeria in full bloom.

I was fascinated by the way the baby plumeria spiraled outwards.

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Synchronicity…Coincidence…Grace

Have you ever thought about something, or had a desire for something, then out of the blue, it seemed to be handed to you?

Well, I experienced that recently. Firstly, I had been thinking about buying an item of clothing. Then I visited a neighbor to see how she was doing. After chatting a little bit, she took out a shopping bag, and said that she had just bought something that was too small for her, and she wanted to give it to me.

And out came an item similar to the one that I had been thinking about.

Later that weekend, I was having a fish sandwich and smoothie lunch at a fast food place. When I sat down with my order, I felt like having fries to go with it, but decided to let it go this time.

It so happened that the fast food chain had a sticker game promotion at that time. I peeled off the small sticker on the sandwich box, and it said that I had won a prize for a medium serving of fries.

Those were nice happenings – made me feel lucky and blessed.

Then it so happened that a few days later, I was reading a book by Dr Wayne Dyer, and there was a section about the principle of synchronicity.

Synchronicity can be defined as “meaningful coincidence”. Some writers on the topic say that when a person has an open and flexible state of mind, he or she can attract synchronicity into his/her life.

Another writer has a good point: viewed from a religious or spiritual perspective, synchronicity can also be called grace or blessing. That, with the added component of exceptional timing.

I think the phenomenon of synchronicity does exist, although I may still be a bit cynical about it. I’m not sure, though, if one can attract it with the right attitude or frame of mind. It seems like synchronicity is too complex for one to “will” it or make it happen subconsciously.

But I do know that when it happens, it leaves you with a nice, happy feeling.

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Wisdom

November is Native American Heritage Month, celebrating the culture and rich heritage of the first people of America.

“This month, we celebrate and honor the many ways American Indians and Alaska Natives have enriched our Nation, and we renew our commitment to respecting each tribe’s identity while ensuring equal opportunity to pursue the American dream.” – President Obama.

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Time Out

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Some Healing Words

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

- Dalai Lama

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A Sweet Tooth = Nice People

I came across an interesting study which indicates that people with a sweet tooth are nicer people.

Researchers from North Dakota State University and Gettysburg College reported in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that people with a sweet tooth tend to be more agreeable and also more willing to help others.

Well, I sat down and thought about all the people I know known for their sweet tooth, and I think there might be some truth in this correlation.

But then again, I might be a tad biased as in our family we have had three generations of folks with a sweet tooth, and needing a dessert or a touch of sweet to end lunch or dinner.

And I am one of them. Sometimes, fruit can do the job, but definitely not all the time. We need a real dessert made with sugar and everything nice that comes with it. It could be something simple like a piece of chocolate or something more elaborate like the traditional Malay cakes.

One of my Mother’s favorites was ice cream with canned fruit cocktail. This dessert reminds me of the 70s, and sometimes, I serve it with vanilla ice cream for a bit of retro fun.

I like the traditional Malay name for dessert pencuci mulut, which is translated to mean something to cleanse the palate. It sounds courtly, and also makes it sound as if dessert has a beneficial function!

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True Strength

There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.

- Han Suyin

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Jottings

 

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Party of One on New Year’s Eve

One can be a lonely number on New Year’s Eve. So that was what I thought, until last New Year’s Eve.

The year had brought its share of changes and transitions for us. So on New Year’s Eve, we were just happy to be “still standing” and to relax in the mellow mood that often prevails on the last days of the year.

Living in a new city, we did not have any special plan. So we decided to have a late dinner at a chain diner where we like the shrimp alfredo noodles.

I looked around me in the restaurant, and saw the different configurations of diners who did not want to cook, or who wanted to go out on New Year’s Eve.

There were several middle-aged couples, a group of friends in their 20s, and a woman with her young son.

There were also two lone diners. One was a woman who seemed to be concentrating on her food, or lost in her own thoughts.

The other was a man who looked like he was really enjoying his dinner. At times, there was a hint of a smile on his face. His body language told me that he was eavesdropping on conversations, and found something amusing. I know this because this is something I myself often do in restaurants and coffee shops!

He also had a type of jelly dessert and coffee before he left the restaurant.

Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, these two diners decided to go ahead and do what they felt like doing, despite how they might be seen or perceived by others, on a night associated with social popularity and social excitement in our popular culture.

That night, in the warm glow of the restaurant where people with different individual stories awaited the new year, these two diners illuminated this thought for me: that our attitude ( how we see life and how we take life head on ) begins first with each of us. To quote Dr Phil: “The most important relationship you have is the one you have with yourself.”

I think that it’s only when we begin to celebrate and support our own selves, then we can honor and share that same attitude with others.

I have a feeling that if I were to go back to that same restaurant this New Year’s Eve, I would probably not see these two diners again.

But on a night that started off as a quiet New Year’s Eve dinner, they imparted to me a life lesson that left a profound mark.

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