Water lilies and blowing reeds

Today I walked with a friend at the National Botanical Gardens and was entranced to find water lilies blooming in the pond that was fringed with blowing tossing seeded reeds.  Reflecting as we walked I thought that the lilies and the reeds are images of values I hold dear. Many of my friends value growth as the apex of personal development but I do not. I find in my own life that growth often comes at the hands of suffering and pain. And frankly suffering sucks. While I accept that suffering is part and parcel of living I would not court it neither do I see any need to make it palatable by using wisdom gained as compensation. It simply is and I do not like it.


The reeds and water lilies are rooted in rich, dark mud. Being a gardener I am often at my happiest playing in the mud and value rootedness and stability and sense of being nurtured that being planted gives. Perhaps this is simply so because I was adopted within my own family and have flt disconnected from parents and sister and uncles and aunts and cousins for most of my life.


Water lilies and the reeds are also adaptable and supple. Moving with the wind and water. The water level drops or rises and the water lily floats imperturbably on the surface, the reeds blow in the wind, bending without resistance to the direction of the wind. I am none of these things even though I dream of being so calm and flexible.

I love waterlily flowers. A sunburst of colour beautifully formed. Happiness. I would like some happiness, some contentment. I would like to smile back at the world and for that to be fully genuine. And the reeds, singing in the wind dancing their tossing heads. Singing the song that the moving Spirit plays, easily, merrily, softly and with joy. I would like to be smile and sing and dance, just some of the time but this is hard to do when I feel fractured and broken.