32 Comments
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Al Bellenchia's avatar

“This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor...Welcome and entertain them all.

Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.” - Rumi

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Will Doolittle's avatar

I like that

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Sara Idleman's avatar

Me too!

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Tanya Goldstein's avatar

Enjoy your garden in whatever form it takes. It is good therapy!

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Dawn Graham's avatar

This brought many happy memories of my garden and my flowers. Thanks.

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Lorraine Arney's avatar

After all the gray and rain these pictures of nature's beauty is so refreshing. Thank you.

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Judith Stock's avatar

What a gift that you are able to see the beauty around you while caring for your wife and being able to accept what you need to do. You are a special soul.

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Beatriz Roman's avatar

Agreed. This is a blessing nature and the desire and ability to create a garden affords, moments of beauty and solace. Not everyone has them. Will's sharing them gives us those moments also.

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Diane Collins's avatar

You’ve got my number Will. Waiting for my “rustic” yard wildflowers to show up each year is a real treat! Another is joining the “We Rise Up” gang every Saturday at noon by the Civil War monument with our protest signs and deep concern about our nation’s direction with pain and hardship in store for so many.

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Will Doolittle's avatar

Doing something is better than nothing

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Joe's avatar

Life does indeed have plenty of beauty to offer. Thanks for sharing a slice of yours.

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KC Scott's avatar

Thank you Will for showing us that we can draw strength from the seemingly small things. Not small to the flowers or birds themselves! Do they consider anything as adversity? Or, as the Rumi quote implies, just accept all that comes as part of life. You are showing us the way.

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Richard's avatar

Joni Mitchell: "...and we've got to get ourselves / Back to the garden..." / -thank you for this wise, well-written, grounding, and transporting column...

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bernice mennis's avatar

This is a poem, Will, how you move through your flowers and vegetables, through the spring and summer, how you move through your life, the external and internal seasons, seeing deeply, capturing beauty on all levels, and ending with the very beautiful poem by Carella on death, on life. In Spring I often quote the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins: "The earth shines out with the grandeur of God". He captures how we often don't see -- power and beauty--and ends: "And for all this, Nature is never spent, there lives the dearest freshness deep down things." You see, and you capture, your seasons. Thank you for your words and vision.

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Will Doolittle's avatar

I love Hopkins

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bernice mennis's avatar

Hopkins is one of my favorite poets...his nature poems but also his "terrible sonnets" which capture his deep layers of depression. He never wanted his poems published--believed that as a priest, they were not really worthy--but fortunately his good friend Robert Bridges printed them after Hopkins died along with wonderful essays/letters about the expression of self, about our need to express our deepest self. I have a book of his letters if you would like to borrow. Interesting...I tried always to introduce him to students but most did not find him accessible. I loved how he played with language and sound to capture what is...it was always wonderful to read him aloud.....

And, as I said, Will, your love of poetry and of language is really evident in your movement of words, in capturing...in being an almost poem. Thank you very much for your Sunday words that traverse a huge terrain of emotions beautifully

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Don Shuler's avatar

Thank you, Will. As difficult as it is, you help us see and keep a fresh and wholesome perspective on life.

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Barbara Bubar's avatar

Such a lovely column to SEE this morning with all of your beautiful pictures.....and a sunny day after the pouring rain yesterday. Moments that are just plain fine are hard to find but so good when they happen! Thank you, Will.

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Beatriz Roman's avatar

Thank you, Will. The birds, the flowers and even the weeds and the critters, all struggling to breathe freely, wordlessly remind us about what life is about for all of us too. Beautiful and bittersweet, as the poem you selected confirms.

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Sandra M. Watson's avatar

My daily "walk abouts" around our wild "yd", never fail to bring joy. New blooms or butterflies, a hopping toad, or berries, and scents delight my senses. Hummingbirds are a bonus. Enjoy your moments in Eden.

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Mary Shubert's avatar

Beautiful, thank you for sharing.

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Els Collins's avatar

What a beautiful tour of your life and flowers. Thank you, Will!

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