Botanical Sabbatical

The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens are closed. So I’m forced to take a botanical sabbatical.

I must say a temporary toodle-oo to the succulent garden

with its towering flowers

that start as the tiniest buds.

Farewell to the fabulous collection of rhododendrons

that brighten my outlook.

Goodbye to the grevillea with its cascade of beautiful blooms

that begin as tight curls.

So long to the marvelous magnolias.

‘Til we meet again.

Photos © Sondra Sula.

If you like these blogs, you’ll most likely enjoy my latest daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions.

If you haven’t read Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, another daily devotional, you may like that, as well.

Embracing Transition

“Sudden Change” by Sondra Sula

There are moments in life when a realization dawns that it’s time to move on. Perhaps the move is sudden, in mid-stride, like a cicada breaking free from its wingless exoskeleton to explore a life of flying. Or it can be subtle, like an inkberry transitioning from bud to fruit along its stem, changing gradually.

“Considering Flight” by Sondra Sula

“Gradual Transition” by Sondra Sula

I fall into the sweet pea category. Everything is happening at once on the sweet pea vine: buds, blooms, beans. One part of me feels energetic and green, ready to take on the world with open-eyed wonder. Another part feels in full flower, that I am exactly who I was always meant to be. Simultaneously, I feel spent—my colors are fading, my suppleness withering.

And within this still point at which all time collides, I welcome the bean. The pod looks nothing like the flower and keeps growing beyond previous boundaries. The bean, like encapsulated wisdom, contains everything necessary to recreate itself. This fresh incarnation may mimic its predecessor, but is actually an entirely new plant.

However one chooses to move on, be it dramatically or imperceptibly, embracing the change is the surest way to fully enjoy the freedoms a new stage of growth provides.

“Welcoming the Bean” by Sondra Sula