Creepers ♥

My legs and arms quivered

as I held a pose in yoga class,

determined to fight the urge to 

tumble to my mat and curl

up in child's pose.

It had been four fast months 

since I gave up yoga classes for

the summer.  Maybe more.

Focusing on a spot on the

floor (a little trick the teachers 

share to enhance concentration 

and avoid toppling over) the 

vision of a local golf course

popped into my mind.

This particular golf course was 

sold last winter, the land 

destined to become another

housing development.

For some reason, the new 

neighborhood was delayed and

the land sat fallow all summer.

In no time at all, nature began

to reclaim this parcel of

earth as her own. 

I don't drive by the old golf

course routinely, so to me, nature

seemed to take over speedily,

but most likely, it was a slow 

and steady invasion of acres

that had once been well-groomed

and cared for.

I was feeling a lot like that

overgrown land at this early

morning yoga class.  In just a

few short months of neglecting

my yoga practice, I'd lost a lot of

ground--in this case, strength, 

balance and flexibility.

I was shocked how quickly

it happened.

(And how sore I was for several

days afterwards!)

Remember the tumbling mass of

vines behind the door in the classic

story, The Secret Garden?

Yep, that was me and yoga class

following my summer hiatus.

Habits and care-taking go hand

in hand, whether it's taking care

of a garden, cultivating a 

relationship, practicing a sport,

digging deep into a hobby or 

flexing our mental muscles.

Otherwise, the creepers move

in rapidly.

Depending how long the ground

has lain dormant, it can take a

lot of work to reclaim it. 

Sometimes the vines are so

overwhelming that it's easy to

turn away and give up.

Don't give up.

Think of The Secret Garden.

In the story, fingers were pricked 

on thorns.  Backs and legs were sore.

The mess was astounding and 

seemed, at times, impossible 

to conquer.

But the characters hung on despite

the odds, despite the pain and

despite the skepticism of the adults

who felt they couldn't bring the

garden back to life.

Of course, they did bring

it back : )

Where have the vines crept into

your life?  It might be a hobby you

loved but abandoned due to life's

demands....a friendship that faded

when it wasn't given proper priority....

or, like my mine, a healthy habit that

was put on the back burner.

It's time to get out the shears

and begin to cut those creepers

back.

Pick up the paint brush, the

telephone, the yoga mat or

whatever tool you need to make

your own secret garden bloom,

once again.

Because at the end of our life's journey,

we don't want vines covering a host of 

regrets

for things not done or relationships

not given proper attention.

Let's be patient gardeners of our

own stories, replacing creepers with a

landscape we've created out of

good habits, care, optimism

and love.

If you look the right way,

you can see the whole world

is a garden.

~Frances Hodgson Burnett,

The Secret Garden

xo

Suzanne

all images P&H