When I am going through a challenging time, like say, facing a pandemic, it can helpful to keep things in perspective. Another way to say this is to “zoom out,” so to speak, and be aware of the present moment in context of a bigger picture.
Georgette is a sweet example of this. She is an African violet. She keeps me company on the high top table I have in my kitchen, where I have breakfast and usually write. She is about four years old. She is a graft from another violet, Georgia, who still lives with my ex. Back when we were still a couple, Georgia resided in the study. I usually get up earlier than my ex and I used to meditate, journal and write in a large chair in the mornings in that room. At that time, I was learning the practice of isolating and honing in on my sense of sight as a grounding tool. Since this violet was on the end table next to my little perch, I used her as a focal point. I became quite attached to her over time and even though we had had her for many years (my mother-in-law gave her to my ex in 1999) I took the liberty to name her in honor of the painter Georgia O’Keefe.
When my ex and I parted ways over five years ago, I took a graft of Georgia with me. At the time, it comforted me to see the little roots growing, speaking to me of new life. Unfortunately, it did not survive the transplant from jar to a pot of soil. Thankfully, my ex inherited her Mom’s green thumb and she was thoughtful enough to grow me not just one, but two grafts into plants and gave them to me when they were both sufficiently stable and clearly well established.
Georgette has been a constant reminder that thriving is still possible even in times of uncomfortable changes. About a month ago, both she and her sister, who lives in the living room, bloomed for the first time. It delights me every time I look at either of them. The timing of her blooming is also encouraging, both from a personal and communal point of view. My ex and I continue to redefine our relationship and we are both comforted that we can at the very least salvage the sense of family and deep friendship that we have established in the over 30 plus years of knowing each other. Her blooming now, in the middle of this difficult time for our world, whispers the hope of knowing that we will eventually be on the other side of the COVID-19 challenge.
May I continue to let Georgette, her sister and Nature encourage me to trust in life.
NN