Collections

Remember childhood collections? You are outside in nature and every random thing that you see suddenly becomes a collection. There was the collection of rocks; typically sorted by fossils, shapes, colors, and sparklies. There were leaf collections, dried flower collections, chestnut collections, and the dirty bird feather or egg collections that all moms cringed at. There were the bug collections, and the anything living in a box that was grass lined collection. My favorite was Sammy Salamander, but I couldn’t collect any more of them and became traumatized when he was not there one day. By traumatized as I child, I mean half sad at losing my friend – and half creeped-out thinking he would show up anywhere and startle me because he did not belong inside!

As we age, our collections change for a variety of reasons. Our tastes change, we are busy, and we have an income that gives us purchasing power. Our collections become much more diverse and materialistic.

I still have the rock collections, and pick up pretty leaves in the fall, but keep the flowers outside to enjoy.

This springtime, I began to sit outside before dinner for 15 minutes to enjoy the sunshine (with my jacket on), and listen to the beautiful songs of the birds. Their layers of joy and excitement resound without interruptions, and the blessing of the season and each new breath fills me up. Since the leaves have not budded yet, this is the best time of the year to see the birds perched on their stage branches, loudly singing those happy notes of spring.

One day as I sat, my eyes wandered after a bit from the blue sky to the fresh green grass of the ground, and I noticed the small branches and twigs that were scattered. So, I slowly got up and began to make a pile. Suddenly, my thoughts went back to a few years ago, when I had a fresh back injury at the end of March that left me barely able to walk for two weeks, let alone bend. I watched the neighbors doing simple yard work and began to feel cheated as they picked up branches and pinecones that the spring winds and rain had scattered. As soon as I felt the isolation of not being able to “play” this favorite spring pastime, I had to actually fight back tears. Once I realized where my thoughts were headed, I took a deep breath. I was quickly able to reframe and enjoy the blessing in the moment. The bird songs and fresh air that surrounded me, turned my frown upside down.

After I thought about that springtime for a minute, a huge grin overcame me, and once again I slowly bent down to gather my collection with a renewed sense of purpose. My husband used to poke fun at my love of picking up sticks, and I would just smile and tell him that each one was a blessing at some point. Maybe a bird perched on it, a leaf to grew out of it, it may have been a focal point that gave the tree more character, or it could have provided shade for a special spot below.

So, yes, I still collect things. Life is awesome when a pile of twigs becomes a collection of memories, blessings, and thanksgiving. I strive to keep the imagination of childhood alive in me and around me. These are the heartfelt moments that come when we recognize the ordinary as extraordinary!

...always be the love you are called to be