Gathering
Gathering is a sweet meditation given to us by each season to reap its unique rewards. Each season holds gifts for us to place along our window ledges. From spring to winter we are hunters looking for that season's treasures. We gather and we fill our home with the love poured out by that season for us. We stop, breathe, and meditate on all nature has given us. We gather!
Spring is a time of rebirth. An awakening of not only the plants but also our senses come alive again as well. The birds begin to sing while gracefully flying over our heads. The flowers are thrusting themselves through the dirt and bursting forth in glorious colors. The smell of fresh air regains entry into our homes by wide-open windows. There are abandoned nests that have fallen to the ground for us to gather. In addition, we can begin to gather fresh flowers to place in our homes and remind us the long dreary winter is long gone. Forage for wildflowers along riverbanks and make bouquets for you and perhaps a friend as well. Gather Ye Rose Buds as they bloom, meditate on all the gifts you have been given, and breathe deeply.
Summer is filled with bright-uninhibited rays of stunning sunbeams kissing our skin and warming our souls. This is the time of year when we slow down. We breathe in and out deeper. The wrinkles forming on our faces relax. School is out and schedules are loose. Trips are planned and life is filled with lemonade on the porch. We skip rope with our kids, play leapfrog, and let our minds relax. We take strolls and we gather what summer has gifted us. We pick blueberries and have stained blue hands because we eat most of what we collect as we pick them and few make it back home. We take day trips to the beach and we lay in the sun, we watch our kids frolic and we stroll the coastline and we gather seashells that washed ashore. We think of jars we can fill with them, we think of window ledges we can decorate them. The sun glistening off your newfound shells reminds you of how bright your life truly is. Say a quiet meditation of thanks to summer.
Autumn is when the nights begin to have a chill to them. A light sweater is needed in the early morning hours. Leaves begin to change colors and then they fall gracefully to the ground for you to gather. Reds, yellows, and oranges surround your feet and your basket is full before you even blink. Autumn is electrified with a tinge of change. You can feel something happening. Wisps of hair blow around your face. You smell winter nipping at autumn’s heels. All of your senses are firing off at once. Herbs are ready for snipping into baskets. Gathering rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Herbs are laid out into places to dry for meals. The ovens are back on, chicken with rosemary is roasting. Oregano is seasoning all your sauces and thyme is placed in stews and soups. Your leaves and herbs you gathered are then placed on tables where grace is said and thanks are given. Gather all your family around your table and meditate on all you have been given in Autumn’s light.
Winter is the season of hibernation. Bears do it and so do we. We shut ourselves in our warm cozy homes and we hunker down with soft and fuzzy blankets. We light candles, fireplaces, and we enjoy family game nights and movie nights. This is a dark season. The sky starts to blacken at four and our gathering hours are scarce, but even in Winter, there is much to gather. We take strolls for kindling for our fires; we gather pine cones and use them to decorate our hearth. We paint them and hang them from our window latches. We gather as a family taking a mid-day hike together. Each member of the family can gather twigs, pine cones, and decorate a different corner of the home. Sprinkle glitter on the pine cones for a little sparkle in the dark winter months. Fill baskets with sticks and place them next to the fireplace. Decorate your home with all you gather. Winter might be darker, but it still has plenty for us to gather. Stop, deep breaths, and meditate on how this season is barely filled with light, but how nature is filled with gifts for you.
Gather ye berries, and acorns. Gather ye sticks and pine branches. Gather through all the seasons; decorate your home with the gifts given to you by nature. Thank nature for it all. All the offerings it brings forth each season. Gather feathers from ducks left behind. Thank the seasons, enjoy all they offer you, meditate on how precious the world truly is, and celebrate a life that is filled with presents for you in all seasons.
