Life lived OUtside

That title, of course, comes from the Rolling Stones song of the same name. It's a saying that we hear a lot in many different forms, a popular one being 'The grass is always greener on the other side.' Well, this week, I got to experience something that we can't have here in Florida, but that we often want: Tulips and Daffodils.

I don't know if you have a favorite flower or not, but mine has always been the daffodil. I'm not sure why, but ever since I can remember it has been my favorite flower. Maybe it is the shape, like a trumpet announcing its presence to the world, or maybe it is the bright, sunshine yellow that seems to smile with radiance. Even with all the gorgeous flowers around us here in Florida, the daffodil has remained my favorite.

We got a chance last week to take a quick getaway to visit family in Virginia, and my sister took us to Burnside Farms where we experienced a sea of tulips and fields of daffodils. It was amazing. The variety of colors, shapes, and patterns was absolutely breathtaking. Each new row had us saying 'No, this one is my favorite'. And then we came to the daffodil fields. With a comfortable chair, I think I could have sat and stared at that field of flowers all day long, the happy little yellow blooms smiling away into the beautiful Virginia afternoon. As part of the admission to the farm, you get to take some flowers home with you, so our little group took home two dozen tulips and a set of daffodils to enjoy over the next few days.

And even though we can't have tulips or daffodils in Florida, we do have a plethora of beautiful flowers to fill our gardens with. We even have some beautiful bulbs like caladiums, cannas, and gladiolus. And it's time for those bulbs to get in the ground, so while supplies last, all bulbs are 40% off. I'm pretty sure I could enjoy a field of caladiums almost as much as a field of daffodils. Almost.

That's the life lesson in this little story isn't it. The full line in the Rolling Stones song is 'You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need'. Another quote from Kathleen A. Sutton sums it up nicely. 'When you can't have what you want, it's time to start wanting what you have.' Happiness isn't found in what we want or don't have, it's in the things that we do have that are all around us, just often overlooked when we are looking for something more. I still love my daffodils, and I'm thankful I got to walk in a field of them, but I'm going to make sure I take a fresh look around me and enjoy what is here and now, in my garden and in my life as well. I hope you'll join me.