Monthly Archives: October 2012

Bamboo rising

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Since my earlier blog post, The spirit of bamboo, the stalk (see my photo, above) has grown about ten more feet into the sky and is now sprouting bamboo leaves!  It is now approximately 20 feet above the roof line and continues to grow.  We are in awe. 

What’s equally stunning is the late night view, when the Belt of Orion (a constellation of three bright, evenly spaced stars — lined up in a vertical row) seems to be positioned (each night) to the right of the upper part of our bamboo stalk.  Unfortunately, my camera is not good enough to capture this beauteous nighttime wonder, but this photo (see photo, left) will show you what the constellation looks like at night (just imagine the bamboo stalk to the left of the Belt).

We have a grove of bamboo trees, but this one stalk simply keeps growing and growing.  So, I decided to do some research on the divine and symbolic attributes of bamboo.

And that is when I came upon The 7 Life Lessons from Bamboo by Sompong Yusoontorn:

These are very wise and true words, indeed. 

For the moment, however, let’s cast symbolism and meaning aside — instead, simply savour the beauty of this bamboo.  And without fail, each night, the trio of stars keep reappearing — twinkling brightly  alongside this statuesque stalk.  And again, and again, we are in awe.

Whispering “goodbyes”

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“I dropped a tear in the ocean. The day you find it is the day I will stop missing you.”   ~ Author Unknown

As many of you know, the challenges and triumphs of the Baby Boom Generation are the focus of much of my non-fiction writing (and some of my fiction pieces).  As a Baby Boomer myself,  I am acutely aware that we owe our existence, our freedoms, and our prosperity to the men and women who endured, fought, and won some of the most grueling battles and economic downturns in the 20th century, such as World War Two and the Great Depression.  American television journalist Tom Brokaw dubbed them “The Greatest Generation.”   They were our grandparents, great uncles and great aunts or our parents, uncles and aunts (depending on when you were born … the Baby Boomer scale runs from 1946 to 1964).

Many are no longer with us — some have passed in recent years, while others are soon to follow.  My friends (from the later 1958-1964 BB scale), like myself, have recently lost or are in the process of losing one or both of their parents.  It’s heart-wrenching, having to say goodbye to the ones who have played such a pivotal role in your life.

To my dear friends (you know who you are) who are coping with recent (or soon to be) losses, please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.  I’m only a phone call away and I’ve been where you are now.  Much love, h.

“The heart that has truly loved never forgets,
but as truly loves on to the close.
You may break; you may shatter the vase, if you will,
but the scent of the roses will hang ’round it still.
Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.”

~ Thomas Moore (1779-1852)

The spirit of bamboo

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“It is the elite plant from Asia, the inspiration for countless myths, the manifestation of perfection, both flexible and strong in structure: Bamboo. Stories tell the tale of its nature. Gods display themselves through it. To be sure, bamboo serves as a symbol of luck and the image of long life….

The spirituality of bamboo in Taoism is ascribed to its behavior during a storm: the evergreen bamboo bends to the forces of nature and yet returns unbroken to its original state. Patience, steadfastness, and the blessings of the gods are symbolized through these properties.” (from lotao.com)

We planted a grove of bamboo trees on the side of our home here in Coconut Grove. It’s the part of the garden that inspires meditation and relaxation — a place to read a good book and be still.  Not surprisingly, our divine dog (11½ -year old black Lab, Bacchus) has decided that this part of the garden is his special place to lie down and catch a few zzzzz’s.

What has amazed us is that only in the space of 1 week (I jest you not, ONE WEEK!), this particular bamboo stalk has soared up to the sky, approximately 18 feet over the adjacent Royal Ponciana tree!

We keep gawking at this bamboo stalk, in sheer amazement. 

Is this a sign that “the best is yet to come?”  I’d like to think so.

In the meantime, we shall keep raising our eyes in the same direction of our wonderful bamboo …. upwards, always upwards.

(P.S.  the fireplace chimney — original to this 1928 cottage — is pure coral. Coral is the native stone of South Florida.  Whenever one tries to plant into the ground, one hits coral after about a foot of digging. Another one of nature’s blessings).