Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

I always find it. Always, always. No matter where we live there are places, where nature is honored and preserved. Today I “took the day off” and went to Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. It was lovely.

About 10 steps onto the path, I could feel my heart rate begin to settle down. It had been a very stressful week. Flashbacks of some of our most painful days-gone-by were front and center. Of course we are not in that exact place, but the PTSD part of my brain felt like we were and I had to do more work than you can imagine, on so many levels, to get us all on track. On top of that, all of us but HT were sick. Having to bring your A game when you are sick, is awful.

But anyway, the Japanese Gardens. So lovely. Driving in I was just appreciating so much that someone made this. Someone saved this. Someone, lots of someones got this going and people maintain it, and keep it up, and there are sacred places like this everywhere if you look for them.

The brochure answers the question, Why aren’t there signs on the plants to tell you what they are, etc.

The answer is they want the gardens to be restorative. Oh, think about that word.

Restorative.

They don’t want to trouble our minds with learning all the flora and fauna. They want you to chill out and just be there. Just be. Enjoy it. If you are someone who’s gotta know…there is a library on site where you can find out every little thing, but for the love of God, when you’re out in it, just be. And people do. Most of the people I crossed paths with today were reverent, quiet. The place kind of commands that.

Despite my attempt at empty-minded reverence, I couldn’t help but learn a little. I learned that bamboo can be very, very thick. And noisy. It creaks and moans. And sometimes it sounds like a rooster when wind causes the trees to rub against each other. It would be very scary to be in a bamboo forest at night.

I can’t ever come across a purple flower without thinking of The Color Purple:

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.” 

I don’t really think it pisses God off. I don’t think God ever gets mad at us or offended. That’s humans creating God in their own likeness. Period. But I love that book and I loved the movie. Whoopie Goldberg in pure brilliance. Watching her Celie grow from the most timid insecure thing into a being possessing dignity and self-love was so beautiful.

We could all stand to love ourselves more, couldn’t we? I know I could.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha

The music of a waterfall is one of my favorite sounds.

Blessings, blessings, pouring down.

Every breath a chance at restoration.

Restore me.

Love.