In conversation with my friend Tony Buzan who is currently in Singapore, it emerges that he is missing the English Spring with its flowers and freshness, and the variety that our climate here in the UK offers.
Much as the tropical weather of Singapore is enticing, and the delights of the Far East are unquestioned, we recalled times together when we had made a point of detouring for the sole purpose of seeing the daffodils in London’s St James’ Park, a somewhat ‘Wordsworthian’ experience… and he asked me if the bluebells were out now…..
Bluebells in April
That prompted me to take some photos of my garden whilst the said bluebells are indeed in bloom, along with Forget-me-Nots, and various other delights which are looking very fresh and delicious at present.
It’s so easy to get immersed in the less beautiful aspects of life, especially when you live in the city, to be overtaken by our daily activities and concerns, and forget to value and be grateful for the simple pleasure that comes from appreciating our environment and the inspiring moments that nature can offer.
For my travelling absent friend - some refreshing moments in an English garden…..and thank you for re-minding me to acknowledge Nature’s blessings …
'Potentilla' in full bloom
Above is one of my favourite corners of the garden….it used to be a ‘hide and seek’ game hot spot when the kids were little…..now it’s providing the same function for squirrels and this year a family of blackbirds, plus the usual robins and great tits, and even a thrush.
Bluebells, forget-me-nots, bergenia, euphorbia - Spring 2009
This sheltered patch amongst the flowers is my cat’s favourite hideout for bird spotting - she’s given up on trying to catch them…
Tree peony 2009
The tree peony gives a brief but stunning splash of colour, and produces an abundance of massive seed pods which not only feed the wildlife and but also offers a way for me to please friends who admire the plant with a gift of seedlings for their own gardens.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama - The Embodiment of Compassion
Listening to the Dalai Lama sharing His experiences and thoughts, one of the aspects which most impressed me was the amount of laughter - both from himself and from His audience. There is warm heartedness, humility and a lightness of spirit which is very apparent in His way of speaking, and His words are aimed directly at the hearts of His listeners. His message of compassion and loving kindness is based on common sense and practical living, and he is clear in asserting His belief that:
“The purpose of life is for happiness, to survive happily”
One of His central teachings about the development of compassion is based on the importance of childhood influences, particularly the effects of parenting. He reflects on His own childhood, and says he believes that mothers are the starting point of loving kindness. He describes His own mother’s simplicity, an uneducated village woman from a farming background, and immensely warm hearted. Contrasting her love and gentleness with the more disciplinarian approach of His father, he concludes that had he spent more time in His early years with His father he would probably not have been the same person.
“I believe that my altruistic mind and my compassion – the very seeds of that mind I got from my birth and the next few months and years with my mother – that was the real starting point to raise my model of loving kindness.”
He goes on to say to parents:
“What I say is this - give maximum affection to your children. That is very essential to bring us a happier humanity. The main hope for humanity relies on our future generations. So families with children have a special role – to give maximum affection to your children.
And parents – particularly mothers - spend more time with your children
