April 14, 2021
This is the time of year when many of us who live in Touristburbia look forward to making the quick drive to Epcot to see the wonderful displays in the annual Flower and Garden Festival. Above are three photos I took in years past. I posted these on Facebook for my friends. Many said "Oh, Harry, you take such beautiful pictures." The truth is that I choose beautiful pictures. For every photo I post, there are many others that are poorly focused, badly lit, and not framed well. Or my finger is partially covering the lens! I do take beautiful photos, occasionally. I choose the best to share with my friends.
Above are photos I took in my own garden. From the top they are: Bird of Paradise plant, hibiscus, flowering ginger, and gardenia. All of these are fairly easy to grow in Central Florida. When I post pictures like this, my Facebook friends say "Harry, your garden must be incredibly beautiful." The truth is, parts of it are. I choose to focus my camera on the beautiful flowers and plants. These are the images I want to share, and to hold in my heart. I may tell my husband, or a few trusted friends, that my garden needs a lot of work. Usually this motivates me to get outside with my garden hose, my pruning shears, and my fertilizer, and get to work brightening at least a corner of the garden that I have neglected.
A lot of us in Touristburbia and all over the world have been spending more time at home since the COVID-19 pandemic hit more than a year ago. If you are like me, you have been spending more time on social media. You may have learned new skills, like participating in Zoom meetings, or starting a blog. I confess, when I share, it is usually the happy things that are going on in my life, like successfully executing a new recipe, or something cute my cats are doing. Sometimes I trust my friends by telling them about moments of frustration or sorrow in my life. They always give me the love and support I need, and help me focus on the beauty in my life more. They also help me identify what I can do to brighten a bad day, like being grateful for the flowers, the cats, the food, and my loved ones.
I try to remember this when I read other people's social media posts. If they are enjoying a week at the beach, I am happy for their good times and enjoy looking at the vacation photos. If they post that they are sad, or frustrated, or need prayers, I am grateful that they trust me with this information. We all have good days and bad days. Today it is springtime! If I can't make it to Epcot today, I can at least spend some time enjoying the sun's warmth, the chirps of the wrens who are nesting in my lanai, and the beauty I can find in my home and in my yard.
Even the weeds have lovely flowers.
By the way, I took three photos before I chose this one to share. And I cropped it to focus on the flower before I posted it!
