The Joy of The Morning Dew - A Morning's Promise Of A Fresh Start

Life came to exist here on this piece of space rock because a billion different odds came together to make it possible. Nature is a powerful force, a force to be recokoned with. I mean look at what she's done so far; you could extend Mother Nature on into our Universe and even beyond since it too is the world around us, even if we can't see it. Nature always amazes me, it's patterns as well as its force of change. Look at the Grand Canyon, carved over millions of years by the Colorado River from a once flat piece of land. The human body is just as much an example, it is the very reason I got into the healthcare field and eventually became a nurse. The human body and the way it works amazes me. I mean truly amazes me. The billions of different things, pieces, processes, on and on all happening at the same time in sync and in communication. Nature is powerful. We evolved from what was once nothing on this planet and look how complex we are now compared to the first single-celled organism that popped up here on Earth. 

Nature is obviously evident all around us, we have just trained ourselves not to see it - to ignore it. I love how many trees my neighborhood has, I'm lucky. There's also the park down the street. Besides, this is California - there are aloe plants and palm trees literally everywhere. I love going for walks just to be outside and under the trees,walking through the neighborhood. I love growing plants, I'm not always that good at it but I love it. Succulent plants are easy because they just need water and sun but can survive pretty well with even only a little water. I spend hours sometimes just watching them and looking at all the details. Sometimes I think about things and sometimes I just sit and examine the amazing living being in front of me that is also growing and changing. Some of those plants like the succulents are a great example. They, like many others, will grow toward the sunlight so depending on where you put them they will grow a different direction. They crave that light and that nourishment. 

Go for a walk sometime soon, and by soon I mean like today or tomorrow by the latest. Even if it's just for five minutes. I park my truck at work in the 1 hour parking zone so I'm forced to take 3 minutes every hour and take a deep breath and clear my head. Sometimes I take a 6 minute walk around the neighborhood. Nothing long or fancy, just something to get me back outside and connected to nature. Even in the city there are parks and trees. It's like re-charging your batteries in the best way possible. Take a long walk on the weekend. Look up at the open sky and remember why you are joyful and what you have to be joyful about. Be mindful and live here and now in the present. 

There are so many truly beautiful things in nature, everyday types of things. Things that happen because of nature's cycle - like the rain. Yes we have droughts and floods but it is still a water cycle that has developed and helped formed this planet. One beautiful thing about this cycle is the morning dew. The moisture in the cooler air at night falls as condensation when the temperature slowly begins to rise. The water droplets then form and are left on the surface of Earth, well the surfaces that have access to rain. In the morning take a step outside and look at the grass, look at the leaves on the trees or even the metal railings lining the walkways. I love the morning dew because it brings me joy by reminding me that some things do come from the cold harsh night, and it reminds me of freshness. A new start. A new beginning. A new day. I am a water sign and for some reason in an odd way water soothes me like nothing else can. When I see the morning dew I see the Joy I hold closest to my heart, my loving husband and our two dogs, my family and my writing; the potential this day has to propel one of those forward. No matter what happened yesterday. No matter the mistakes or problems or failures. Today take a look at the morning dew, take a moment to center and be mindful. Appreciate life and the things around you, what you have and what you someday will. Be happy in the here and now and take this chance to realize that every morning is a fresh start with a new chance to do whatever you want. You just have to want it. 

Springtime, Making Room For Fresh Growth

It's that time of year again, spring is here. It seems as if spring ended only a few weeks ago. Time flies as life goes on, I always heard but never believed that. Until I grew up. But it is now time to brush off the cobwebs, stand up, stretch your muscles and get back to life. As time changes it pushes us into longer days and warmer nights. Buds start to appear on the trees and slowly grow until flowering open a few weeks later. The street is lined with tall pines and eucalyptus trees and so many more types that I can't even name that over the last few weeks I've gotten to watch the trees come back to life and flower right before my very eyes. The sea of green is littered with flowers of every color, all gently waving in the wind. It's always so amazing to watch what seems like a dead tree slowly bring itself back to life and fill out with color.

It's the perfect time to evaluate yourself and where you're at and what you're doing. It must be something in the air, in the warm afternoon breeze that feels so good. The fresh smell lingering in the air is so refreshing. Everyone does spring cleaning of their closets and clothing, but what about our lives? Isn't that more important anyway? All of us have our dark corners filled with secrets, pain and memories. Everyone carries anxiety, doubt and fear with them, slowly letting it build up and shade your view of the world around you today. There is no need to carry all of that excess baggage with you through life. Those things that have hurt you in the past can now only hurt you if you give them permission. Clean out your closets and make room for something else. The more you allow to build up the more you weigh yourself down with unnecessary stress and worry. Don't let yourself be weighed down with this burden. You don't have to open up to someone else, but you have to at least be honest with yourself. We all owe that to ourselves.
I love springtime because everywhere you look it's like the whole world is fresh and clean. Like a breath of fresh air after the stale winter air you learn to grow accustomed to. Of course we aren't the only ones who get going when the warm weather moves in. The animal world starts to buzz and swarm, coming to life all around us. Whether it's the squirrels playing around the trees or the return of the opossum who used to visit every night we can find comfort in the living and thriving world around us. Nature is harsh and cruel and if the tiny clovers in the field next to the dam and the sprouting palm trees in the cracks of the sidewalk can thrive through such dangerous obstacles then we should be able to weather anything. After all, most of us have food to eat and somewhere to sleep, and if you're reading this then some electronic device of some kind. We are so lucky. There are so many people in the world who have no idea what a cell phone is or how one works. Remembering that, we can be grateful for the things we enjoy each and every day. It reminds me of the beetle I saw the other day when we were hiking. The sun was bright and warm and the ground held the heat well. In the path the beetle was digging away trying to either find something or make himself a nest. For a minute or two I just stood there and watched it, going at it like no one else was there. He was so determined, so driven. There was one task he had to do and he was doing just that. I almost envied him, the dedication to keep going through the heat and being tired. He was in danger though, as everything is in nature; except that his world was full of much more death and ways to accomplish such. He was working so hard like that because he knows that at any moment a bird can land right next to him, a dog run by and catch a glance, a rock might crumble and fall as it's crossing the dam or someone walking by could accidentally step on it without even knowing it were there. How depressing. But then again isn't the same true for us? There are an infinite number of things out there that can harm and kill us, we are pretty much always vulnerable to something. That's life. That's the world we live in. But to see it on such a scale made me pause. Looking down I saw how small that little beetle was; I saw how small his problem was compared to the expanse of trees and bushes in every direction. To him it looked so urgent, so consuming. In reality the world lived on a much grander scale. Looking down I felt like that little bug was all these things I've been stressing about and worrying over. I haven't been able to see the forest through the trees as it were. Letting go of all these little things that I have no control over and aren't worth my time anyway is the one thing that will free me enough to see the bigger picture and realize I am a lot more joyful than I first thought. After stopping my partner from stepping on it I headed out with him down the path, leaving my little friend to his worries and letting him slip from my mind. If only I could do that with everything else on my mind. That's the point though, to try and do just that. 

The other day my partner decided to take little Miss Stormborn on a walk just as I was leaving for work. I decided to take a few minutes and go with them. What better way to start off the day? Turning one of the corners he stopped and bent over to pick something up off the sidewalk. He showed me four of the smallest little flowers that had all fallen from the tree overhead. They were so small and delicate but also beautiful and wonderous. What's more, there were hundreds of them all over the sidewalk. As I was sitting in my truck getting ready to head out he leaned in the open window and placed the four of them on the dashboard for my drive. It made me grin so big. Driving to work, every time I looked down, I couldn't help but smile again. It served as a good reminder to me to not take things too seriously and to stop and take the time to not just smell but see the flowers. Something much easier said than done. Something I still need to be constantly reminded of. It worked, he made me smile and helped me start my day with hope and love and laughter instead of anxiety, dread or fear. The world is growing around us and we can build off of its growth ourselves if we take the time to just look. Growing means changing and changing means learning new ways to look at the world. Look at the world you have built around you. Do you like what you see? Are you thriving in your environment? Are you taking advantage of every opportunity available to you? Or do we all just kick it like a bug in a dirt pile and get so lost in the stress we create for ouselves that we lose sight of what's really real and beautiful, love and hope and courage and strength? Don't give up, keep going and pursue the path of joy. Well it's really more just the path in life that you choose lined with joy instead of hate. More than control over your life, you have control over yourself. So do something. Spring is here and the sun is shining. Time to grow.