Article Highlights:

  • Who greets you?
  • Attending your own garden
  • Join me there

secret gardenDear Secret Gardener,

I attended a funeral that, amid the sadness, also had many moments of beautiful and glad-hearted sharing.

Printed on the program was a poem by Thich Nhat Hanh:

Tomorrow, I will continue to be.
But you will have to be very attentive    to see me.
I will be a flower, or a leaf.
I will be in these forms
And I will say hello to you.
If you are attentive enough,
You will recognize me,
And you may greet me.
I will be very happy.

Reading this again later, I thought to myself, “Who is greeting me now, when I’m too distracted to hear?  Who could I hear if I paused to be attentive?  The ancestors perhaps, with a word of encouragement?  A friend who has passed?  Perhaps the spirit of the flower itself even?  Who don’t I hear?”

So I listened… right then I became attentive and said, “Hello?  Who greets me now?”  Then I listened attentively.

The little Japanese Maple began to shimmer outside my window in a sudden breeze.  The clouds above made just enough room for the sun to highlight it prettily in its shady grove, and the wonderful wind chimes nearby tinkled melodically for a time.  The wind, the sun, the tree, it’s leaves, their melody… they greeted me.

“Hello,” I said, “I recognize you.  Thank you so much for showing up to greet me in such an immediate way!”  They did indeed seem happy to connect.

It dawned on me then: I have a secret garden. One that’s there just for me.  It’s in what’s around me, different every day, each moment.  My own secret garden.  You have one too.

I thought it would be fun to enter our secret gardens  together, right now, through the portals of our attention.  The garden’s are separate but we are not.  It would be fun to do this with you.  Pause momentarily, be attentive to the subtle world around you.  Who is there?

Perhaps you will ask for someone in particular to give a message or let you know they are there.  Maybe you will hear someone ask you for something.  A butterfly might flutter by, or you’ll feel a hug.  Perhaps you’ll feel my heart open toward you.  You might hear the voice of your own Soul.  Or the room might feel so full you will be certain of Presence.  Let’s pause together and see!

As well, maybe this week or this month we can let it be our secret delight… taking many, many moments to be attentive to all around that can be seen and heard and shared in our own responsive secret gardens.

From my attentiveness I greet you now, and recognize the beauty of your intrinsic goodness that’s so very apparent, even from here.

In recognition,
Mayet Leilani

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