Day 363 Ornamental Grass

December 7, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

On my walk in Downs Park today, I stopped to admire ornamental grass growing in clumps near the main office. These clusters are especially beautiful when I study their texture accentuated with back or side light from the sun. Each long stalk contains a clump of “fingers” curving downward and holding hundreds of seeds. I cannot help but reach out to feel the feathery fingers that seem to hold the sun’s silky rays along with millions of seed possibilities for future generations. 

On windy days, I observe how the tall stalks bend with the wind. This is not a sign of weakness. In fact, the park ranger tells me ornamental grasses are hardy and she offers seedlings if I’d like some for my yard. These stalks bend in the wind but return to stand tall on a still day. Perhaps this is really a sign of strength—its ability to be flexible. Is this another life lesson from Mother Nature?

Nature paints texture on life’s canvas, giving it depth, meaning and narrative. The texture in my hands tells a story of hands that have dipped emerging prints in developer while I watched darkroom magic in amazement. Multiplying lines on my face were etched with millions of smiles throughout 70 years. The roughness in my voice grew from years of teaching young minds to grow. And the texture in my mind makes the fertile ground where creative thoughts bloom. 

My gift today is texture.

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Day 364: Rice Krispy Treats


You can find links to my other posts on this project here:
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html