Arlene Ariston shares this reflection about their grotto in their garden.
C'EST LA VIE
by Arlene Ariston
I was visualizing how our garden would look if we cut the carabao grass to a more uniform length and hubby says, “let’s try”. We have planted it three weeks ago, and it is beginning to grow new shoots, which will eventually be my patch of green. So garden we did the whole afternoon and it turned out so rewarding. I just love the sound of flowing water from our small garden pond and our three Pangasius fish are a show-off. Three days ago, we changed the water and noticed that they had small cuts in their bodies and the pinkish hue that I thought was the actual color of their fins are exposed flesh perhaps brought about by their constant bumping into the concrete wall. And I was thinking, why is it that when you buy fish in the market, you actually don’t bother to know how they were caught, how they were propagated and eventually harvested to finally land on your dining table. This time though, I have that protective feeling towards them much as I would protect our two dogs which are constant shadows, always following us around and trying to be noticed and touched. How can one get attached to a fish? I do enjoy watching them swim, the way their graceful bodies freely float with just their nostrils showing signs that they are alive. A friend once told me, while we were both admiring the goldfish in their aquarium, “remember, they represent the continuity of life”. Yes, they sure remind us that life is a continuous process. It is a process of becoming.
Life is full of beauty if only we open our eyes and admire what is in front of us . How could you not be touched by a sunrise or a golden sunset? How can you not laugh with an innocent child without a thought of the daily cares and worries of this world? How can you not admire those beautiful wild flowers growing on the wayside? How could you not be happy when you hear a voice from the other line asking how you are? Sometimes, we are simply blinded by worldly things that we forget the simple joys of a handshake, a smile from a stranger, a hello from a friend, a pat on the shoulder, a warm embrace and a hug. Sometimes, we take all of these for granted. We are still lucky, we have the power to see and admire, we have the power to touch and feel. I don’t know why but lately, I get a little weepy just listening to a nice old song on the radio, I get a little weepy listening to a priest delivering a good homily and I do cry when I am alone, not for anything else but because I am overwhelmed with such emotions that crying is the only natural thing to do.
I was having a chat this morning with a friend and a former office mate. Neil is now based in the US and we haven’t seen each other for more than a decade. I let him read some of my musings , then he said, “why don’t you have them published and I’ll be the first one to buy.” Oh, oh, what a nice way to say, you believe in me. Thank you Neil. Someday, maybe, I’ll find the courage to write something that would touch someone’s soul, then I’ll die happy because that would be a dream fulfilled for me.
from my Wordpress blog: http://arlene1956.wordpress.com/
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