The Patience of Nature...

The anemone bulbs that I planted in late December (they were a Christmas present) slowly, but surely produced the beautiful flowers that I love so much - all those rich colours offset by the stark, matt black stamens. It's such a natural process, but yet it is one that still seems quite exhilarating as you watch the first shoots emerge, almost mysteriously, and the strange leaves develop, followed by the flowers that burst out boldly, or unfurl in a furtive, secretive manner. The patient resolution of this cycle of growth is so powerful that it is always surprising - like the tree roots and weed shoots that rise up from the thickest layer of tarmac, undeterred.

"Adopt the pace of Nature,;her secret is Patience" is a quote from the American poet and Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882) and there is surely a great deal of wisdom therein. However, patience does not necessarily come to us 'naturally', although it would be the best approach for much in our lives.

This month has been devoured by my impatient efforts to advance in different personal undertakings... A great love-hate relationship with my new crocheted blanket has resulted in many lost hours as metres of wool have been unravelled in the creative process, only to be rewound again after a great deal of dismantling. So this Work In Progress has not progressed as much as it would have done, had my obstinate nature not taken over from common sense. My inability to put down the crochet and walk away has been its undoing here - quite literally!

Meanwhile, I have been trying to cram my brain with the facts, figures and theories of.... the highway code (don't ask). Thinking this would be a brisk process was indeed an error. As much as I would love to stride on ahead, another pace has been set. My brain's seeming unwillingness to absorb all or any of this stuff has forced me to be patient, or at least try to be patient with the whole learning process. Unfortunately, I don't even seem to have the patience required to learn the art of patience itself!

Meanwhile, the forms of Nature around me move along in their determined fashion; the nasturtium seeds that I planted months ago have grown up to produce the bright, bold leaves above. Oh for the patience of Nature!