Springtime is a metaphor for rebirth. It represents the newness within us. It is when we plant the seeds of our future,
both literally and symbolically. Keeping
that in mind, I celebrated this week’s Spring Equinox by meandering around in
my garden. I practiced a walking
meditation, allowing the bottoms of my feet to feel
every nuance of the ground beneath me. Connecting with Mother Earth
in this way always brings me into the present moment.
It was in this present moment when I felt compelled
to clear out the three lifeless branches from my rose bush, enabling me to see
the fullness of the remaining plant. Considering
our winter in Arizona has been quite warm this past season, the vibrant green
leaves of the plant’s offshoots had already begun flourishing. I looked forward to receiving the red
blossoms that this shrub produces every year.
Furthermore, as I removed the old branches, I also
discovered that a younger rose plant had sprung adjacent to its parent. As I released the old that was no longer
serving me, I could then visibly see the glorious new Being that was taking its
place. It would stand to reason that I
will have even more roses than usual—which certainly brings a smile to my face
and to my heart.
I
next moved on to the opposite side of my yard where an oversized pot
rests. Winter had ravaged the once thriving resident
from last year and it was necessary to clear out the old in order to make way
for a new plant to take its place. I
arrived with the intention of having to do some pretty serious digging. That is when I beheld for the first time that
underneath all the crunchy hard leaves, a nursery was brewing. A burgeoning mint plant that had clearly been
propagated from its parent was awaiting for me to take care of it. I had no idea it was even there, but luckily
when left to its own devices, Mother Nature knows exactly what to do. Her resilience astounds this particular
observer.
That
being said, it is important to note that while Mother Nature does know what to
do when we don’t fool around with it, it is another matter when we
intentionally send harmful chemicals into its bosom and when we attempt to
genetically modify its perfection. I,
myself, have learned a plethora of truths behind how we treat our natural
environment. Every single act has its
various set of consequences.
Take,
for example, the copious amounts of hummingbird feeders that are seemingly
everywhere. We set them up to entice
these lovely birds into our gardens. That
is because between the hummingbird’s vibrant coloring along with the fact that
they are kept afloat by the flapping of their rapidly moving wings, we can’t
help but be in awe of these tiny creatures. It’s as though they inspire joy within us,
simply by being in our presence. It’s no
wonder so many get in on the act of having a hummingbird feeder or two. We just can’t get enough of them. It’s not the feeders themselves that are the
problem, it’s what we put in them that is.
In our bowls, we pour boiling water over piles of
processed sugar in order to melt the crystals.
After cooling the concoction we then lovingly place the mixture in our
feeder. Why shouldn’t we use this easy
recipe to bring in the birds? They
clearly enjoy it—and so do we!
Unfortunately, this way of thinking is analogous to giving an alcoholic
a glass of wine. Sure, they want
it. They even congregate around it. However, is it really good for them? Or is it yet another marketing scheme various
companies have made in order to get you to buy their product. Alas, I fear, it is indeed the latter.
Admittedly, I too fell prey to these seemingly
wonderful devices only to Awaken to the realization that if sugar is addicting
to me (read Addicted to Sugar) then
certainly it is addicting for other life forms, as well.
Moreover, processed sugar acts as a poison to all of our systems. In fact, part of the reason the bees are disappearing
is because large commercial beekeepers are by in large feeding them processed sugar, which is driving them mad (read To Bee or Not to Bee). It would stand to reason that if
processed sugar has debilitating effects on humans and on bees it would do the
same on the rest of our wildlife.
According to The Hummingbird Society, 34 of the 338 species of hummingbirds are facing extinction. While it is certainly not just one thing that is endangering all aspects of our natural environment, it is true that every act creates a rippling effect of repercussions.
The natural food source of the hummingbird are
various insects and spiders along with the drinking of the nectars that come
from flowers. A factory does not need to
get involved in creating the synthesized sugars, for the good stuff already
exists in nature. The key here is to plant
flowers that are indigenous to a particular area that a hummingbird will enjoy
rather than feeding them something that is hurting them.
Another thing that exemplifies our problematic yards is the interminable usage of lawns.
I am not talking about wild grass that grows naturally throughout
nature. During this time of year, I have some wild grasses
that bloom lovely indigo-colored flowers that the bees and butterflies
adore. That is an avenue of feeding these
beautiful creatures. However, having a
lawn is not.
Even before my Awakening of understanding what we
are doing to our planet, I distinctly remember being three years old and
looking at the sea of never ending perfectly coiffed green patches in
front of everyone’s homes and thought that they were somehow wrong. I didn’t comprehend why
at the time, but now I do.
For starters, lawns consume an unprecedented amount
of water—water that we can hardly afford to waste. My wild grasses never receive a single bit of
water from my faucets. They survive from
the rains that Father Sky provides and that is all.
Additionally, Mark Hostetler succinctly states that, "Lawns...are like concrete to most species and have very little benefit for wildlife." What's more, John Vlahakis reports that a study at U.C. Irvine reveals that the maintenance of lawns causes the emission of four times as much carbon dioxide as what would occur naturally. Gas running lawn mowers, weed eaters and all the other mechanical devices are detrimental to our well-being.
Furthermore, lawns are genetically
modified and need poisonous herbicides to destroy the weeds. Nothing that has been
technologically and chemically changed benefits Mother Earth. It simply helps to destroy it.
It is time that we all wake up and smell the
roses. So many of us have lost our way
when it comes to connecting with Nature.
If we all realized that we are animals too and as such we are the brothers and sisters to all the Beings on our planet, we would then remember that we play an
intrinsic role in the dance with Nature. If we each
take the time to get in touch with our primordial connection with the land, the
air, the water, and with all the Beings who live here, we would have a happier and cleaner Home to live in. Hence, a harmonious and more
fruitful existence would be had by us all.
...and so it is.
Thank you for reading about my Organic Bliss!
