How can a flower sweep me away so profoundly? That is what happens every time I spend a little time gazing at the bouquet of peonies I bought. They start out tightly wad into that clenched perfectly round ball. I look at it and think, "Oh that will never open up...not these store bought versions." I can't imagine a flower able to continue its process after being cut from its root plant weeks earlier and shipped off to the various stores. Like little orphans waiting in its plastic sheathing..."Won't somebody take me home? Really. You won't believe what I can do when you place me in your watered filled vase. Pick me! Pick me!"
And so the budding flowers are in the vase and within hours, they start opening. It is so quick and beautiful in each movement. I am drawn to "being in the moment" with this flower. I walk into the kitchen with anticipation of what changes this full bosomy bud has gone through. I find myself pulled towards them to admire each movement in its sweet journey. Knowing this plant has such a short flowering time - about two or three weeks in June makes it all so much more special. The way this flower blooms with its abundant petals, leaning open with the sunlight and leaning closed for nighttime warmth, from bud to blossom and then waning depletion of its force of beauty. All this in a matter of 4 or 5 days. I'm taking a peony vacation and end up feeling honored and humbled to be part of its living journey.
I also feel extraordinarily blessed because it reminds me of how to live my life. With fullness and abundance. To take care in the evening and rest. To be patient with budding emergence of a bloom that I don't yet own. And to trust that life is the same for me as it is for a gorgeous flower. To be in the moment with each movement on whatever plane I'm conscious of. Yes. All this. And to think I got this wonderful experience from a small bouquet of flowers from Trader Joes for $6.99. If you hurry, there might be some left for another week. And after that....its another year before we see them again.
