The Spiritual Message of flowers

Earth, 114 million years ago, one morning just after sunrise: The first flower ever to appear on the planet opens up to receive rays of the sun. The first flower probably did not survive for long and flowers must have remained rare and isolated phenomena, since conditions were most likely not yet favorable for a widespread flowering to occur. One day, however, a critical threshold was reached and suddenly there would have been an explosion of color and scent all over the planet --if a perceiving consciousness had been there to witness it. As the consciousness of the human is developed, flowers were most likely the first thing that they came to value that had no utilitarian purpose for them that is to say was not linked in some way to survival. Seeing beauty in a flower could awaken humans however briefly to the beauty that is an essential part of their own innermost being their true nature. Eckhart Tolle from A New Earth

Do you remember when you thought dandelions were flowers and not weeds?
Or when you counted the petals of a daisy to see if he loved you? How about putting the buttercup under your chin to see if you loved butter? Not to long ago my sister and I spent hours at a baseball field in Lyme picking red clovers. The scent of one so delicious but in a bunch they intoxicate a room with their fragrance.

Flowers have always fascinated me. The amazing detail in each one. It is magical and wondrous world. The different scents. The myriad colors and structure. Several years ago, I was taking a walk with my 4 year old nephew. He was so alert and curious. As the walk ensued he would ask why this and why that. When suddenly we both noticed a hibiscus flower. It was gorgeous! Crepe paper petals showy and big. Yellow,velvety, thin long stamens punctuated with red orange tops. The two of us stared at it like bee's looking at a pot of honey. I remember wanting to be small enough to get in there and really look at it and feel it. Pointing at the stamens, Nicolas pipes up in that little voice, and asks "what are those for?" I looked at him and was struck with silen

ce. I pondered, he persisted. How do I answer that question? I think that I said something benign like "oh that is how they make other flowers." Fortunately a bird or cat caught his attention and he was off to ask a million more questions. As the weeks of summer slipped by the Hibiscus kept blooming and I kept looking... til a painting was born. Pollen Nation.

As I clean the garden and prepare for the upcoming end of summer and the last vestiges of flowers in the garden. I have come to recognize a correlation between flowers and people. We are like flowers. In

general, each one of us looks the same. We all have noses, mouths, eyes, hair, but as you get closer each one displays a very individual perfect beauty. Some flowers are prickly but still so amazing that you can't help yourself you want them around. Some are resilient beyond your wildest imagination growing where nothing else does. Others are not from these parts wilting at th

e first sign of trouble. ie; to much sun, not enough water. Some are exotic, presenting themselves without chagrin and others hiding beneath, demure in their simplicity. Some are just easy to have in the garden. Year after year following winter they show up to spread there unbridled enthusiasm.Supplying me bouquet after bouquet of love each day. Other times you end up with flowers that don't work in your garden anymore. They were fine at one point but now you don't have the energy to care for them the way they demand. It is always nice to be able to let them go

to another gardener who has the energy to give them exactly the right conditions to thrive.

People are the same. As you get closer you notice the different things that make that person beautiful and perfect. It can't always be seen from the road you must get out of the car and drift into the field and really observe and become involved with the mass of beauty that is a human being.

Next time you get a flower from some one whether it is a dandelion, carnation, hybrid lily or rose really look at it. What you might find in that flower is the smile of the divine. Are humans not the smile of the divine?

The details above are from a painting I called Pollen Nation. Named after the explanation that I gave my 4 year old nephew. This painting is about 20 years old. Every time I look at I can't help but smile. The things I new intuitively when I was younger. Sometimes I feel like Rip Van Winkle asleep for 20 years. My constant refrain is " Oh...I knew that".