As spring finds its way slowly to many parts of our country many gardeners are preparing their soil, planting their seeds with their eyes on the prize of having beautiful abundant healthy foods for their family. But into every life a little rain must fall. Things that happen that make us take two steps back and ask ourselves, I am doing this why? I am having one of those days, but thankfully my belief in my bliss is so firmly intact I take these setbacks with a grain of salt and continue on with my journey.
Last night our area was wracked with some very bad storms. This morning we awoke to the destruction caused by high winds and a lot of rain being dropped on us from the sky often causing damage in the weight of the water sitting on object or the wind dislodging and relocating items that may not have been held down securely enough to prevent their relocation.
As I walked our dogs this morning I surveyed the damage and thought to myself, I am very lucky to be alive and for those closest to me to be as well. Regardless of the damage incurred I am still thankful for the many blessings in my life and am very thankful for life I am living. This is what following your bliss can do for you during difficult times. It can give you a firm foundation on which to judge the things that happen that are completely out of your control and that you are unable to change or prevent.
As I walked around looking at the destruction caused by the storm I realized that this is a minor setback to my seasonal garden. All of my seedlings are safe and sound inside with light and water and heat. Most of my plants my inner voice told me to rescue and check on, bringing what I could inside and doing what I could to protect from the pending storms. In Tennessee you are never sure if the weather man is on the money or smoking crack. So it is always better to plan for the worst, hope for the best and accept whatever life throws at you with grace and dignity. Knowing in your heart you did what you could to soften the blow but that life will happen according to a plan none of us are privy to.
Because I listened to my inner voice, which I have been honing with following my bliss and being true to myself there is very little setback for the plants in my garden. I literally built walls around them using whatever I could find in the yard that was not already otherwise engaged and moved everything to the center of our polytunnel which now is just a frame, thanks to the storm. They were fortified using empty buckets that are not currently needed for plants and garbage cans tuned on end to give them bracing. I did this because the weather man was called for another week of temperature in the 30's and I didn't want to risk losing any more of our plants to the cold. I had no idea that the weather would turn so nasty that it would shred our cover and leave everything exposed to the weather.
As I searched the yard this morning for our lids to our storage holders for food for our horse and chickens I realized that had I done what I always did we would be literally in a pickle today. We normally keep an abundance of food on hand for our livestock but due to unexpected expenses I was unable to refill when our supplies when they ran low. For that I am extremely thankful. Had the polytunnel been filled with hay or the holding tanks filled with feed that would have been money down the drain and wasted because everything is now soaked.
Now I realize most of you are reading this thinking to themselves that I wear rose colored glasses not to see the destruction and the cost that the storm cost us. But the reality of the situation is this. It could have been far far worse. We all weathered the storm. There was no loss of life. Our home is intact and standing. Our barn is no the worse for ware although a little wet this morning. Our livestock food is wet but can easily be replaced tomorrow and we will struggle through today. We can feed wet we just cannot feed mildewed feed and hay. I will scatter what we have give the animals a special day of additional feed and allow my holding tanks to dry out hopefully enough to be refilled tomorrow with fresh grains and I will find a way to store my hay to keep it dry be that a tarp and a skid to keep it off the ground or in our storage building which just recently had several items removed because we gave our surplus furniture to someone who did not have what they needed by way of the basics for their new home.
Everything happens for a reason. I know at times it may appear that bad things happen to good people for no reason at all. That the universe is a cosmic joke that just loves to torment you. But often you will find yourself standing on the other side of that storm being very thankful for the many blessings you have in your life. Even during the darkest times I can usually find something to be thankful for. I am not an optimist by nature. I am not a happy person by nature. In previous years before pursuing my bliss I would have stood in the center of this chaos and though to myself, Now what? How am I suppossed to rebuild from here. This is going to cost far more than I can afford and my dreams are at an end because Mother Nature decided to have a fit with my garden. But not now.
Now I stand in the middle of the chaos and think to myself that the things money cannot buy are still with me. Those I love made it through the storm safe and sound. The things that have been destroyed are a pain in the butt to replace but they can be replaced. That I am healthy, alive, and still kicking. That is something to be very grateful for. I have said in the past and many of my friends find humor in the comical way I often describe my life or my circumstance. Blame that on being raised by a very Southern Grandmother and a very patient Father. But any day this side of the dirt blanket is a good day. That means any day you open your eyes and manage to struggle your way out of bed is a good day to be alive. Regardless of what turmoil it may bring to your otherwise calm existence.
I promised to blog about what was going on in my life and the path to following my own bliss, in hopes that it gave those who are considering following their own hope as well as the knowledge that they are not alone in this quest. There are many who are waking up to smell the coffee and realizing that their lives are not living but merely existing. I don't promise you that every day will be sunshine and roses. But I can promise you if you follow what makes you happy it will help ease the troubled times and give you a far better perspective on what happens in life and how to survive the storms that life often brings.
I hope my blog today has given you all some food for thought. I hope that is finds many either beginning the journey of finding themselves and their bliss, or at least entertaining the thought of how this change in outlook could have a positive impact on how they see their world and how they react to the things that often times do happen. I am trying hard to stay true to my purpose for writing this blog. Some days it isn't easy because I cannot think of what to share either because so much happens or nothing at all happens but such is the nature of the beast. Some days it is a buffet and some days it is a famine. But regardless of what life brings you if you are prepared to handle the worst of it with a smile and the knowledge that ours paths are not set in stone. We are the controlling factor in how they steer us to the next landmark or port.
If you have something to cling to during hard times they don't feel near as hard. Because you know this too shall pass and you will be wiser and stronger for having survived it. You just have to make sure that the dream you are chasing is yours and not some one else's dream. You have to live your own life, you have to dream your own dreams and you have to be willing to survive the storms safe in the knowledge that it isn't the end of the world as we know it.
Until tomorrow blog buddies, stay safe, stay sane, and be happy.
Be like my seedlings, grow towards the light. Thrive in the container you are planted in and always remember that although you may not know why something is happening, chances are it is meant to strengthen you for road ahead.
We are doing an experiment this year for our garden. Those are recycled toilet paper rolls folded at one end to create growing containers that will break down in soil. It is our way of cutting our gardening cost and as you can see my seedlings have no issue with the odd containers they are growing in for this year. It is actually working out really well for us and for the plants we have started for our garden.
