Blossoming Where You Are

Every spring my heart fills with joy as I watch leaves emerge from the trees and wildflowers from the ground. Perhaps the earth is smiling at us, assuring us that we can preserve what is kind and beautiful if we wish. The return of the hummingbirds (at our house, we’re fortunate to have quite a crowd already) beside the music of song birds underscores our gleeful mandate to get on with living as we were meant to do. When we superimpose gorgeous meadows in bloom over scenes of war, suffering, and hate, we should be alarmed that we allow self-destruction to continue in the name of power and greed. How did human beings come to hate themselves so much that we’re the only species on Earth willing to commit genocide?

There’s no trick to finding curious, interesting, kind people. I meet new ones almost daily. They’re most of us, although some don’t know it. They’re the ones saving beached whales and trapped dogs and abused cats. They look out for the vulnerable. They’re the ones who can feel the pain of those who can’t adequately feed or shelter themselves or their families. They’re the ones who don’t care about labels as much as they care about other human beings. They’re trying to break the shell of separation the pandemic forced upon us. I read recently of “Christian” church goers who complained that the tenets of Christianity presented by Jesus are too liberal. What color of dark is the sky in their universe? They’ve lost their sense of humor as well as goodness. They’ve forgotten people don’t have to live in loneliness and fear, divided into armed camps. Like others lured into extremism over the centuries, they disdain hard-won civilization. And some are merely sincere one-issue citizens unable to see a broader perspective that includes the future.

As I mentioned earlier, self-loathing drives people to lust for dominance to prove they’re superior, because they can’t stand being equal, not to mention sub-par, although violence is the power of brutes. Ironically, they want to shrink smaller emotionally and intellectually to be safe—never challenging their myopic views, becoming as flat as the flowers their ancestors once pressed into books. Yes, I hope I shake their cages to remind them to use their minds and hearts. We’ve degraded our presentation of our species and it’s time for those who recognize what we’re losing to step up and be better.

How do we open up after so much distrust? Begin. Simply begin to talk kindly to strangers. Look for ways to improve the lives around you by sharing your good humor and caring. Don’t simply hear, listen. Listen. Listen. Notice how similar our needs are. Notice how enriching our arts are. “There but for fortune…” we’ve written more than once. Imagine yourself growing up in a different family, a different neighborhood, a different time. Imagine if your gender or race were different. How would you behave? How would you survive? What would you do to secure “the blessings of liberty” for yourself and your family? Who would you choose to believe? Who would you choose to follow? What would blossoming look like for you? Imagining isn’t as easy for adults as it is for children.