Rescued volunteer

Rescued volunteer, Amherst, NH, September 2005, Pentax Optio 555, Exposure 1/40 sec @ f7.9, ISO 64, with flash © Steven Crisp

This is what is known as a "volunteer" from the bird feeder. A sunflower seed, meant as food for our feathered friends, falls instead to the lawn below. And then against almost all odds -- not to mention the lawn mower -- just happens to get enough water, enough, shall we say, bird fertilizer, and stays close enough to the bird feeder pole such that it can mature and grow.

When it came time for some landscaping this year, we had to move the bird feeders, which would of course mean the death of our little volunteer, but for some reason I potted him up, and placed him against our house, in the one spot that wasn't being excavated or bull-dozed.

So what does it mean? What is the significance of this one "volunteer" being rescued (there were others that weren't) for the season? Only this. It was by no "action" on its part, no special drive or purpose, no unique will to survive that this happened. Rather, this sunflower seed was just "being", not "doing" and "trying" or "worrying" or "hoping"; just being its inherent sunflower-nature.

So what then is its purpose? What is the significance of this rescue? Only this. By it just "being" we have this beautiful sunflower photo that can be admired. Indeed, that is the essence of it. Everything just "is" and if we are quiet and present, we can see the beauty in it.

Some have called this beauty by other names: "perfection", "Divine Plan", "Grace", etc. But these are just words and concepts, typically mis-construed, to try to describe the inherent beauty found through acceptance. Accept that "it is what it is" and open your eyes to the beauty all around you, every day, wherever you are.

Happy New Year, friends.