What lies behind us and what lies ahead are tiny matters compared to what is seeded within.  ----John Muir

Introducing my new book: To Grow My Garden Within

(Amazon, Covenant Books and Barnes and Noble)

There is something special about September leaves drifting from the trees, as if we are allowed a chance to peel back, refresh and start again. 
-----Ruth Ahmed

Peel Back, Refresh and Start Again: (A Brief excerpt from To Grow My Garden Within, "Forgiving Yourself: Grace and Whimsy")

Wouldn't we all like the opportunity to reach back into the past and have a do-over?  Native American folklore says there are two things we cannot take back: a spent arrow and the spoken word. 

While I have not shot any arrows, it pains me to recall some of my spoken words that may have pierced skin and drew blood.  I have asked for and have humbly accepted forgiveness, yet regret can feel like a heavy overcoat on a sunny day.  Anne Lamott wrote, "If you have a body, you are entitled to the full range of feelings. It comes with the package.”

Unexpected Road to Grace and Whimsy

Unexpected Road is a single lane dirt road that borders our family farm in Southern New Jersey.   That dusty pathway reminds me of all that waits in the unexpected ordinary doings of the day.  We can literally turn a corner and stumble into grace. 

On a lark, my friends and I meandered ourselves into the Museum of Whimsy in Sarasota, Florida.  (see link below) We found ourselves in a magical garden where yellow mushrooms spouted up like moonbeams and colors twirled around like spinning tops.  Amid the fun and frolic of creative art mingling with nature, I felt a light-hearted rebirth, a burst of energy, my own big bang.  

Our stories are not stuck in the past. Our stories are ongoing, regenerating with each new dawn.  We just have to throw off the overcoat and show up.

Remember Peter's Story

Following the arrest of Jesus, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.  Imagine the heavy overcoat of remorse he carried, the three denials that he could not take back.  But Peter’s failures were not the end of his story.  He chose to be present in his own rebirth, his own recreation story. He became the Rock, upon which Jesus built his church.

Show Up for Your Own Recreation Story

Whimsy doesn't care if you are the driver or the passenger; all that matters is that you are on your way.  It is never too late. You don't need a plan; you just need to show up and revel in the unexpected.
               Bob Goff, author of Love Does

Clippers and snippers
My garden tools,
Those gnarly tangled knots.

How tight their hold 
With roots so bold,
A fierce and mighty cling.

When all I need is 
The faith of a mustard seed . . .. 
  . . .To grow my garden within.

See Also:

Tending the Garden Within: Seeds of Spirituality and Hope

http://whimsymuseum.org/index.html