Posted by Michael Finkelstein | January 16th, 2018

It might be Winter, but there’s still a Garden in your Heart

Now in the midst of the dark of winter, recovering from the festive period past, deeply entrenched in our hibernation, one might assume all is dormant; but, that’s not necessarily so. As I gaze out at our garden from the warmth of my writing desk, I am aware that there is still life under that blanket of snow, and I am reminded that the garden of our heart has a pulse too— perhaps slower with the deepening freeze, but nonetheless, it beats away. Though quieter now, the seasons continue, each has its place in the cycle of life on earth–each essential to the great cosmic dance in heaven.

And, as I shift my gaze more deeply inward, I realize that as part of this wild world, we are not merely observers, but have an actual part to play in its process. If we chose to focus beyond the witness, our conscious awareness of our role adds another dimension to our existence. And in that is the essence of our beating heart. Though I can’t see the seeds beneath the ground, nor whiff the fragrance of springs flowers to come, I know they are on their way. There’s so much beauty to follow, even though it looks bleak at the moment.

The question then becomes, how can I serve this process and nourish this growth that is waiting for its time to emerge? Perhaps, as I wrote about last month, it is not in the doing, but in the being. This is not the time to be especially active. However, maintaining faith in the spring that will surely follow is what is called for; and resting in the peace of that knowledge. Indeed, though we can’t see its face or know its name, there is a miracle waiting to take form within the garden of the heart. Now, it simply needs to be trusted and loved, like the child still in its mother’s womb.

Mitakuye Oyasin,
Michael