The Cycle of Life

Everywhere I look I am reminded of the cycle of life.  I especially see it in my garden, because that cycle is so abbreviated.  I also see the struggle and fortitude of the living things around me; plants as well as animals.  Last spring I took my loppers and chopped away at a neglected hedge that had sent long stems out to intertwine with each other.  In my effort to reshape the hedge, my vigorous chopping resulted in neatly rounded sticks where vegetation once grew.  Sid thought I had killed the hedge, but I had faith in the survival instincts that living things rely on when met with a formidable challenge.  That was 3 months ago and it makes me smile when I see how vigorous this hedge is growing, sending out vines of flowers to lure bees and hummingbirds.  I wish I had taken a picture of that slumbering hedge as it prepared to reawaken with vigor for life.     

I had also chopped away at the Rose of Sharon, which had so unruly attempted to cover the house.  The branches had sprawled past the roof edge threatening to close off every ray of light.  I was so satisfied by the progress I made in controlling this plant and I held the false belief that it would take several growing seasons for this scrub to recover.  Instead this plant rewarded me with a burst of lilac hued blooms edging past the roof edge as if to laugh in my face at my futile attempt to control the vigor of life.

 I too have been challenged as all living things are and at times I appear to be a mere wisp of what I once was.  But today I am better and so I get out of bed with a zest for life, put on my makeup and go out to say hello to people around me and I laugh.  I am not so easy to extinguish even though my vital energy hangs in the balance.  It is my spirit that is full of fire and I protect it as a fierce warrior protects a precious jewel.