This peony seemed like the perfect metaphor today....especially given a recent post....and the state of things in America. The peony looks a little beat up....but it's still beautiful. And this particular peony actually held itself up....so it wasn't a "peony gonna peony" situation even though the odds were not in its favor.
And there is absolute beauty in the wabi-sabi imperfection as it starts to die back. New and interesting parts are revealed and even highlighted, and the fading and falling petals seem to be dancing.
I'm not really sure....but I know we have to....even in the midst of the struggle. Like the peony....many of us are feeling a little ragged around the edges today.....but there is still beauty in our imperfection. And there is still joy in our world. There's always joy.
There is always joy. And hope. Thought you might like this, MaryAnn. It’s given me solace and hope.
ReplyDeleteThought we could all use these words…
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“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
― Howard Zinn
This is so helpful! Thank you! Yes...there is always joy and hope.
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