2001-02-08 | 06:30:47

i'd like to talk about gardens.

actually, i must give credit to esol for his great entry on gardens of the mind. it helped inspire this tangent.

over the last month or so, i've been buying fresh flowers for myself. nothing fancy. sometimes just a trio of tulips from the grocery store. usually less than $5 altogether. i highly recommend the practice.

the way they brighten up my livingroom makes them a bargain at twice the price. their fragility, their vivid colors, the graceful arch of their stems, their heavy, luxurious heads. it's a good, cheering and soothing reminder of nature and life and beauty. inspiration in a vase, i'm telling you.

last night i placed some fresh flowers in my front room and took the still-one-day-or-so-of-blooming-left roses into my bathroom to perk it up. the fluttery folds of the white petals bent up to look at me, face to face. gorgeous.

i had just gotten off the phone with one of my closest friends. at that moment the thought of her beautiful friendship and the visual of the flower's beauty collided in my grey matter.

friends are the flowers in life's garden.

hmmm...ok, that was super-hallmarky, you're right, but i think the thought beneath the syrup and simple symbols rings true.

later that night, another friend called and was letting me know that she was feeling down and struggling with self-esteem. i tried to remind her of all the good things about herself.

"but why can't i remember those things more often?" she asked. i told her that's what friends are for. friends are around to pick you up, dust you off and to help you find the humor and hope in this mysterious life thingamajig.

i've been sharing my blues here recently and have only to look to my in-box and guestbook for words of encouragement. lovely petals scattered electronically to remind me that there is hope in the world.

i'm lucky to count many wonderful flowers in my garden. lilies, daisies, lilacs and irises. unique and exquisite.

to them i have to express great thanks and appreciation. you brighten my life and inspire me constantly...

as do you. (hmm...i think you'd be a hibiscus in my garden. something tropical, you know.)

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