I walked through the rows of sunflowers in my garden. Each plant was in bloom and there were five or six different types so that we had a kaleidoscope of colour for the eyes to enjoy, well, and the bees and butterflies too. I was pleased but not as satisfied as I thought I would be. There was a slight feeling of ‘okay, you all look beautiful, so what’s next?’

This is what they talk about when they say it’s the journey to the manifestation and not the actual manifestation was where the fun is. I experienced it first hand and now I know.

The Universe Conspires

I remember when I ordered those seeds and waited anxiously for them to come in the mail. I checked every few days to see if the red flag was raised to indicate to me that my order was ready for pick-up and that day when I saw that it was, wild horses could not keep me from rushing to collect my small package of seeds — so excited was I to put them in the ground and have a field of sunflowers for the summer.

It had rained the night before — a good solid shower as if the Universe was conspiring with me to provide a moist welcoming place for my new seeds. I held the package in my hand and smiled. The journey had begun.

That very afternoon, I cleared the banks, made the holes, added a bit of rabbit manure, and gently placed two seeds in each nest. I covered, watered and the waiting had begun. In about three days, I began to see some signs of germination.

Wow,” I thought to myself. “That was quick.

And so over the days and weeks, I watered and tended to my plants. Some grew quite tall while others stayed short. I had to spray some homemade garlic and neem for some insects that were excited as me and wanted to make a meal out of my plants. I was not allowing such. Not my sunflowers in the becoming.

Anticipating the becoming

I remember when the first bud started forming. I squealed in delight and my mother, sitting in the garden at the time came to see what the excitement was about.

“It’s coming,” I pointed excitedly.

She smiled. She had grown accustomed to my getting excited over the slightest things. I could not help it. I saw wonder and beauty everywhere. My eyes had opened, never to be wide shut again!

That first flower opened completely. It was yellow. It was beautiful. It got destroyed by the monkeys. I was a little annoyed but rested in the knowledge that there were many more to open and open they did, one day after the next, showering me with delight.

Where does the excitement really lie?

And so, as I walk among them, all opened and gently swaying in the wind, I notice their beauty, I see the small seeds being formed, I look at the smaller buds that were forming behind the larger blooms and I shrugged as I realized that the excitement, the best part of it all was the anticipation of their becoming and not the became.

· · ·

I. Trudie Palmer
One Love