Words that caught us: Make time for the tulips!

 

Here’s something that caught us:

 

“I was heads down,

running seven days a week

for at least a month

when one evening,

my husband suggested we take a walk together.

 

As we strolled along the public garden

and turned the corner,

I was shocked at what I saw — I gasped!

The tulip garden was a field of half dead leaves.

With my hand over my heart, I said:

“I missed the tulip bloom!”

 

Tulips are my favorite flowers. I adore them.

Every year for a few short weeks,

this garden is filled with them.

I’m always taken aback by their beauty,

their variety, and the colors.

But this year I had gotten so busy,

I forgot to take a moment,

just a few steps from my home,

to take them in.

 

This may seem a little dramatic to you,

but missing the tulips threw off my year.

The joy, the energy, the renewal

that these spring flowers bring.

It impacted the way I experienced my summer,

fall, and winter that year.

 

Most people wouldn’t make a big deal about this.

They justify missing tulips for years in a row.

These same people later bemoan that life is short.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

What I want you to know is that life is deliciously long.

It is the most beautiful long journey,

when you are present to every moment

and deeply aware of every season.

 

You have to make the time to take in the tulips.

 

As your life gets busy,

there is a risk that you’ll sleep-walk through it.

So many people do.

They feel pressured to move fast

and get stuck running in a loop.

They fall asleep

and the beauty passes them by.

Some of that beauty will never repeat itself

like a baby’s first steps,

a violin recital, or a grandmother’s last smile.

That is why you must stay present to life.

 

Don’t stray too far

from life’s nurturing source energy.

If you distance yourself too much,

a part of you will darken inside.

Detaching from life

will make you lose track of your essence:

your passion, your purpose, your joy.

 

I have learned that nature is my greatest teacher.

She shows us exactly how to embrace every moment of life

powerfully and joyfully.

If you ever get stuck in your inner world,

and it starts to feel dark,

remember that it is breathtakingly beautiful and bright outside.

 

Appreciate life’s forces.

Let them energize, animate, inspire, and guide you.

It doesn’t take long to take them in.

Make the time to experience this incredible,

wise and inspiring partner.

Attune to the seasons,

be present to every experience life brings.

Say “Yes” to life

and make time for the tulips.”

 

Are you making time for tulips?

*Today’s reflection was inspired by Marisa Murray in this excerpt from The Younger Self Letters: How Successful Leaders & Entrepreneurs Turned Trials into Triumph