Catch and Release
"We are showered every day with gifts. But they are not meant for us to keep.
Our work and our joy is to pass along the gift...
and trust that what we put out into the universe will always come back."
-Robin Wall Kimmerer
My daughter and I spent the first week of summer catching butterflies.
Net in one hand...
Habitat in the other...
Eyes alert...
Into the woods we go!
You too? Fireflies? Fish? Frogs?
There is Something Magical
In the catch + the release + the flow
Aren't We the Lucky Ones
When we fill our summers (and our lives) with such endeavors?
The Catch
"When you pick a flower and put it into a vase, you only have a short amount of time with this beauty."
-Megan, This is Enough, Reflections on Life
Have you noticed?
It is the "fleeting thing" that I want to capture most.
A flower
A butterfly
A morning cup of tea
A rainbow rocket over my farm
We have to be quick to catch it, no?
Is it just me?
It feels like I've momentarily captured...
Clarity.
Beauty.
But, really, how can one hold such things?
I think it must be the fleeting nature of such things that compels me to savor them. To...
The Release
"To live in this world, you must be able to do three things:
To love what is mortal;
To hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
To let it go."
-Mary Oliver
Those butterflies in our net...
They are not meant to be held forever.
Those herbs in your teacup...
They only fulfill their purpose when released.
Enjoyed by you through your emancipation of them.
Our Senses Confirm
Through Sight: The joy of seeing the butterfly in flight
Through Smell: The calm of smelling lavender in my cup
Through Taste: The tranquil calmness of the herbs
Their Release is Beautiful
The Flow: A River Flows in You
"Let it wash over me
I’m ready to lose my feet
Take me off to the place where one reveals life’s mystery."
-Matt Simons, Catch and Release
Yurima
Composer of the instrumental piece "A River Flows in You" has said little of its interpretation.
So for me, it is an homage to allowing our creativity to be captured and released.
To flow.
*link to my harp-interpretation of this beautiful melody*
A song. A painting. A poem. A piece of pottery.
A quiet moment sipping tea.
We catch
Inspiration
We release
Creativity
Like "A River Flowing in You"
Dear Tea-Drinker,
My blessing to you and myself this month:
May we catch fleeting moments of clarity and beauty
May we release with joy and honor that which comes to us, setting it free, as it should be
May we allow flow through us, catching inspiration and releasing creativity
As always:
Thank you
I'm honored to be your herbal tea farmer.
Be well,
Shannon