Blooming Blossoms

‘Be in awe of all that is alive.

Be in natural wonder.

It is the pace of peace.’

Gunilla Norris

The end of April is a magical time as nature is adorned with delicate blossoms (and I celebrate my birthday on its last day). I live in the region Haspengouw in Belgium which is well-known for its fruit orchards so I’m surrounded by blossoms every day in April and May. When I go for a walk or a morning run I look out over endless rows of blooming pears, apples and cherry trees. Just beautiful and soothing for the eye and soul!

However, I notice I’m slowly losing my feeling of wonder and enchantment with every year that passes by since I live here. It’s as if I’m getting used to this abundant beauty around me. And it make me feel a little melancholic and sad as I long for that deep sense of wonder and delight I had in the beginning. So it makes me wonder how I can learn to be awe again, to really see. That’s what this blogpost is all about (and lots of blossoms too of course)!

In our garden the plum trees are now spreading around their white petals like snowflakes. The cherry trees are covered with abundant white blossoms. The air is filled with the scent of fresh green, soft rain, gentle sweetness and abundant growth. The pink buds of the our apple trees are slowly unfolding their petals. They are far most my favourite kind of blossom! Do you also have a favourite type of blossom in your garden?

All we have to do to enjoy this natural beauty is to open our eyes and to see. It’s just as simple as that! But is it, really?! How often do we miss it because of the speed with which we habitually live. Because of the rush and hustle of our daily activities. Because of our head is filled with all the things that need to be done. For me at least, my mind is often occupied with daily chores, worries or fears I’m wrestling with. There’s little room to really see. Maybe you also recognise yourself in the following quote…

‘If I’m slavishly attached to the

previous moment,

or if I’m already living tomorrow’s moments,

then I’m not free

for the moment of the eternal now.’

Macrina Wiederkehr

We all experience difficult times in our lives and the last thing on our mind is to focus on beauty and be in awe, isn’t it?! But according or Rilke it’s just in these times we should try to stay close to one simple thing in nature. When our mind is wrestling of our heart is torn, we can find healing among the flowers in the field, marvelling at blossoms or listening to the rhythm of the waves. The slowness and stillness slowly take us over. When our soul is alive to beauty, we begin to see life in a fresh and vital way.

It will help us to really glimpse beauty and be filled with wonder again. But it’s an exercise and as with all exercises it doesn’t come easy and takes practice. There’s much that can stand in our way to really see the wonder but I’m convinced it’s a skill we can learn and definitely worth the effort!

I would like to share 2 practical tools that might help us to learn to see and be filled with wonder. The first one is the discipline of keeping a journal. Writing daily (or as often as possible) can help us to be more aware and attentive to the beauty in our daily lives. It helps us to be more conscious and connected to the world around us. Reflecting and actually jotting down our thoughts, ideas, struggles, the details we noticed, … is really powerful.

A second one can be photography. And I mean photography as really taking the time to photograph without the intention to share it somewhere. Just for the sake of joy and self expression. This practice is really helpful for me. When I walk around with my camera, I look at the world in another way and my eyes are really focusing on details, shapes and colours which I would otherwise walk by. Often I’m happily surprised by things I’ve never noticed before.

‘Why is it that we think we help things along

by fussing over them - rehearsing actions ahead of time

or second-guessing after we’ve acted?

Do we feel insignificant if we haven’t made waves

around our actions?

Do we feel too exposed to judgment if we simply act,

without worrying excessively about details or results?

Or do we feel too free, somehow afraid of the ease

and lightness that simply acting - without worry-

gives us?

Maybe it is only after years of practice that we can

blossom - just blossom.’

Gunilla Norris