Columnist John Morgan
Two important lessons came to me, almost out of the blue, simmering throughout my life but arriving unannounced today.
First, what’s really important is often close at hand — it is we ourselves who are missing in action.
Second, life renews itself if given half a chance.
Given the sad shape of the world lately, these seem two very surprising and welcome conclusions.
How did I come by them? By staying awake. Isn’t this one of our chief reasons for being alive — to bear witness to the beauty that surrounds us every day?
Sounds simple, I know, but quite true. Let me explain.
This morning I went outside to drink a cup of coffee. I had no plans to read or write as I sometimes did. I was going to sit quietly. Silence is often the best cure for excessive thinking or doing.
Sitting there, I saw a bunch of purple flowers growing out of a pot. It was a stunning sight so early in the season. Where had they come from?
It dawned on me they had come from my own hand a few years ago when I had planted them there. They had lasted through at least two winters and now returned in their purple glory to teach me two important lessons.
First, they’ve been here all along. It was I who was missing. The lesson was a basic one from many times and teachers: stay awake to life in all its forms, simple and still amazing.
Second, life renews itself, often with only a small and brief push from us. Sometimes all we need to do is get out of the way and let it blossom.
It had just been Earth Day around the world, the theme this year being the need to reduce our dependence on plastic. Celebrating this day means saving the planet from our own abuses, but I think it also means observing nature’s gifts of beauty and expressing gratitude for this earth on which we depend in so many large and small ways.
Some years ago, a little volume of my poetry was published. The last lines of one poem struck a chord;
And now the roses grow before the country windows,
the hawks circle overhead,
the fire bush catches flames to warm the hummingbird.
Smell the lilac, the fields.
Stand under the open heavens and sing praises
for another year — a time to begin anew.
John C. Morgan is an author and teacher. He can be reached at drjohncmorgan@yahoo.com. His column appears weekly at readingeagle.com.