Something Beautiful

So about 3 months ago I moved into my own apartment. It was the life season change that I needed, and I cannot tell you how much I enjoy living on my own. After 25 years of sharing space and accommodating others, I get to decide how I want everything. And I'm fairly certain the only way I could go back to living with someone else is getting married.  When I moved in I decided that I wanted to be intentional about my space and about how I live. With freedom comes responsibility, and I want to be responsible with what I have been given. Anyone who knows me, probably knows that I have difficulty with plants. And more specifically with keeping plants alive. I have always wanted to be good at gardening/growing things for several reasons. I am a farmer's daughter, and I have always enjoyed the smell of good, dark earth and the process of bringing forth something new. I also have always admired my grandmas and their ability to have beautiful gardens. I remember my Grand

I don't usually share my poetry with people. Probably because I don't feel that I am a great poet and so my poetry is usually just for me. It might also be that usually I am unfiltered when I write poetry. It is a baring of my soul that few other things can bring about. Therefore, most of my poetry remains hidden, tucked away in corners of my journals and scribbled on scraps of paper. Every once in a while, though, a poem keeps coming to mind and seems relevant to share, so I try to share those. This particular poem has come to mind several times since I wrote it last fall, and it is relevant to my life currently, so I am hoping that it will speak to you as well.  A grain of wheat   I live in a paradigm of paradoxes.  Strength comes through weakness. Victory comes through suffering. Life comes through death. I'm called to be a life giver,  to bring life, health, joy, peace, beauty. Yet it is only through dying to myself that life will come. I am the v