1194. We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it. ~George Eliot

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There is a garden in every childhood,
an enchanted place where colors are
brighter, the air is softer, and the morning
more fragrant than ever again.
~Elizabeth Lawrence

Screen Shot 2016-07-09 at 9.00.43 PM.png

If you love a flower, don’t pick it.
Because if you pick it, it dies and
ceases to be what you love.
So just let it be…
Love is not about possession.
Love is about appreciation.
~Osho

As a child and an adult, I’m overcome with wonder when I smell a flower, like this lily. They are so very beautiful and fragrant, and I’m also fascinated by their stamen and anthers. Just look at the amazing red anthers on this one. Is it any wonder pollinators are attracted to them? My youngest grandson is one of those beautifully innocent children who is filled with curiosity. And as we worked in the garden one day last summer, he was quite taken with these anthers and I explained that they were food for pollinators. Afterwards I turned to get a tool out of my bucket, and when I swiveled back around, he had red all over his little mouth. Stunned, I asked if he’d eaten some of the pollen, and he said yes. As I reeled from the possibility that I might have killed my grandson or at least let him become very sick, I asked him why in the world he would have eaten the pollen. He said, “Well Mompy, I figured if it doesn’t kill the bees and such, it won’t kill me.” Before I took him in to wipe off his mouth, I decided to phone my daughter who just laughed and said, “That’s my Joe.” As it turns out he was okay and did not get a bellyache, but we had a long talk about not putting things in our mouths without first being very sure that the substances are not toxic to humans.

The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. ~Proverbs 19:8  ✝

**Image found on Pixabay

22 thoughts on “1194. We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it. ~George Eliot”

  1. I agree 💖🌸. But I still have such fond memories of spotting the first Spring Flower after winter and proudly picking it for my mother who put it in an egg glass on the window sill. 😊😊

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  4. I have so many memories of sucking the sweet nectar out of honeysuckle, but I never tried that with the lilies. Your grandson sounds like such a sweet, inquisitive boy who will go far in this world. I also have an autistic grandson, now 20, and he is such a joy to be around. Life for him is always a treasure, and his first allowance money was immediately put in the poor box at church. I applaud my daughter and son-in-love for the way they have brought their four kids up, making sure they work for what they receive, and giving them unconditional love at all times, plus special days devoted to each child so they never feel as if they are neglected.

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  8. a friend just brought me a bouquet of various lilies filled with tiger lilies—I made the mistake of carrying them against my shirt—bad stamens bad!!!!
    🙂 my shirt is now permanently stained with orange spots—as the art teacher in me immediately thought what an excellent dying material in which to stain handmade papers 🙂
    but I should have known better as I know these stamens!!

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