בס”ד

An important part of tending a beautiful garden is taking the time and effort to get rid of weeds and prune unhealthy growths away.  Last week we got over 9 bags of “over-growth and weeds” out of our house for garbage and donation pick ups.

It is amazing what you can discover.  In my attempt to get rid of some the “weeds” (ie clutter) in my closet, a few weeks ago, I found a whole prairie!

The prairie was in a book published by Scholastic Inc., I am Nobody! Who are You? Poems by Emily Dickinson.  I read through the pages, searching to glean one(s) that spoke for me.  The message that I took away from the book was about the incredible gift of perception Emily Dickinson had through really taking the time to see, perceive and describe the details of simple things in life.

Initially I thought that my challenge in building a business of my own was in the fact that I see so much potential in the basics that I don’t move beyond them to become an expert in anything.  But, then again, Emily Dickinson managed to write about 1800 poems with just the basics – a deep look into the basics.  Appreciating and seeking to utilize basics is what I love – searching for the basic truths in life, without all the frill, is what draws me to the spiritual philosophy and lifestyle we have chosen for our family.  So, how does this fit into the poem I found myself attracted to?

Thoughts to ponder…

• A prairie occurs naturally when allowed to.
• When we lack and want to “make” something that is generally natural, we need to begin with a small element of it.
• A key ingredient is to allow ourselves to dream – to visualize what we want.
• Through dreaming, we can tap into the essence of the thing we wish to make and enjoy it.

So, what is my “prairie”? What do I want to “make”?  I have a lot of dreams.

Perhaps I dream and pray for things that are too big?  Maybe I need to go back to the basics – the clover.  And then,The Prairie.

To make happiness in my home it takes a smile

and one kind word, -

One smile and a kind word,

And a positive view.

The positive view alone will do

If words are few.

I know a beautiful “prairie” is in store when we start with, and concentrate on the basics, and grow from there.

- DebBee