Stopping by the garden center to pick up potting soil can be a “dangerous” thing. I don’t need any new plants, but strangely, nicotiana, poppies, and lavender ended up in my cart. There was no plan on where they would end up in the yard, so once I got home I was stuck in decision making mode. It took me a few days to figure out where their permanent locations would be.
With smaller plants it is not too much trouble to undo a bad decision and move the plant. But I’ve made decisions with trees, vines, and bushes that would be challenging to undo at this point. And I realize that not all my decisions have been good. My espalier apple seems to be happy and has lots of tiny apples forming on branches. But my miniature pear tree does not look as robust. It could have used a sunnier, less trafficked area.
Because not all my decisions have been perfect, I can get immobilized contemplating choices. (Of course, that is not just in the garden.) It is sobering to realize that every day we make small decisions that cumulatively form our lives: saying yes or no to an invitation; accepting a new job or staying put; moving to a new house or new city (or not); a turn to the right here or a turn to the left there. We have crossroads every day of our lives.
There is a scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is at the crossroads trying to decide which way to go. The scarecrow offers some observations, but not any advice. Once Dorothy helps her new friend down from the pole, they just pick a direction and go. Indecision disappears, although it is not clear why. If the scarecrow hadn’t come down off his pole would Dorothy still be there deliberating about what direction to go? I think she might.
The mindfulness word this week is crossroads. We can pay attention to the flow of choices (big and small) that we are given each day. We can practice being attentive to our process, honoring indecisiveness, and celebrating the fact that we get to make decisions at all.
For more information on weekly mindfulness focus words click here
On You Tube: Dorothy meets the Scarecrow at the crossroads click here.
