Fields Of Lavender

The ground was weary soil. As far as my eyes could see, in every direction, the land belonged to me. It was ugly and in ruins. The cracks in the ground were deep and dehydrated from years of neglect.

I fell to my knees and wept for these lands. I covered my eyes, and the tears streamed down my hands, arms, legs and onto the ground. I was unaware the tears falling filled in the cracks as I knelt in despair.

A twinge of hope pricked my heart. It had been so long since hope had been found inside me, I did not know what it was. The shock of this feeling caused me to remove my hands from my eyes. The landscape had changed. It was saturated by my tears. It had taken on the appearance of life.

Still weary and broken, I reached down and gathered the soil in my hands. It was soft. The wind no longer had control of the motion of the soil. It was heavy with nutrients given by tears of a broken heart.

My feet and legs grew stronger and lifted me off the ground. All around me, the these lands were ready for planting.

What would I plant? Would I plant peace? Would peace bring to me the essence of life? Or, maybe I should plant hope? Hope would bring the sense of awe my heart loved to feel. Possibly love would be a good crop? Love did bring hope and peace.

Carefully thinking through the many options of seedlings in my possession, I picked the one seed I knew would bring all of the beauty back to this land. It would grow peace, hope and love.

I wrapped the apron around my waist and filled the pockets with seeds.

With every step, I leaned down, and in the soil, I made a cradle for the precious seeds. As I dropped the seed into the warm and protected space, I named it: my husband, my son, my mother, my father, my step-father, my sisters, my brother, my nephews, my nieces, my friends, my ability to love, my strength…

The seeds were plentiful, and the name on each was unique. I gave it a fingerprint of thanks.

This work never ended. I planted daily from morning until night. The work was not grueling, but it did take reminders to myself of how important this harvest would be.

One day, while I was planting these seeds and naming each one as they settled into their space to grow, I stood. My eyes found the horizon behind me.

As far as I could see, across the landscape of my land, were fields upon fields of lavender. I was in awe.

My eyes were the mirror to the greens and the purples as the sun backlit the entire vision. I took off my apron, and walked carefully through the rows of lavender, crushing some of the leaves between my fingers and inhaling the beautiful fragrance of gratitude.

This was the variety of seed I had decided upon: gratitude. Through gratitude, peace grew, hope bloomed, and love breathed.

I spun as a child in this field I had planted. My laughter found it’s way through the clouds and into the sky. It reverberated deeply out past the horizon of my limited sight. It fed these plants, as if by some sort of miracle, with joy. I watched them grow before my eyes.

I looked back to where I had stopped planting. The soil was ready to harbor the seeds. My work was not yet finished. I had an entire life to fill. I walked back over to my apron, lifted it around my waist, and began the good work of planting one seed, naming it, and moving to the next.

One day, I reached the end of my lands. The planting of seeds was no longer necessary. A new adventure into a new land, already planted, awaited. However, there was an infinite amount of seeds available. I realized a lifetime is not enough time to count every blessing.

I took off my apron, threw the seeds up into the air, and the wind carried them past the clouds and out of site. They were off to find a new home in another heart. My harvest was plentiful, and my life was full. The life I left behind was fields of lavender, fragrant and dancing in the wind. It was watered with the sorrows of my neglect, and planted by the strength of my hope. Gratefulness filled every inch. I smiled knowing this harvest gave to all who knew me and provided me with what I desired most: a beautiful, wondrous, joyful life.