Stalking Cacti

I've been closely watching a cactus in my neighbourhood these past few days.  Every year almost without warning it throws out a beautiful big fragrant white flower, then just as quickly it's gone again.  That seems to be the cacti way.  I've never managed to get a picture of it though I surely have tried.  This year was to be the exception.  I've been stalking that plant with my camera!

Well, the World had a message for me through the Lens as it usually seems to, but this one wasn't what I expected at all.  That potentially magnificent cactus bud simply did not open!  It went from a fat juicy bud almost bursting at the seams to a withered up dead appendage, in just two days.   I had even visited it after dark in case it was one of the night blooming Cereus, but no, not even at night was it about to open.  I was/am so disappointed.

I got to thinking what could the message be here for me.  What  point of view, or what metaphor, was the World offering me?  Then it hit me:  what if I died, bursting with unrealized potential?  It probably wouldn't concern me at the time, I'd be dead, right?  But what about the World around me?  We all came into this World with  unique gifts and talents which, if we don't discover and use them, could the Universe/God, family, friends, or even our community,  be just as disappointed as I was when the bud withheld it's gift from me?

Popular author and public speaker, Wayne Dyer, often reminds us 'not to die with our music still in us' and now, more than ever I can see his point.

Getting Back to Me

It's been one of those weeks that where the challenges have bombarded me from all sides. By the end of the week self doubt was setting in heavily - I could have coped with these better....why on earth did I allow them to get away with that?...how could I have forgotten that? - and so on. Finally, yesterday afternoon, late as the sun was going down, I 'remembered' that I've always found solace outside in nature. In this case nature was my back yard, heaven on earth to me. Soon I received the inner promptings to go a get my camera. The World had something to say to me through the lens.

I was reluctant as I could see there was only a few minutes of decent light left but when I have a camera in my hand my thinking really does shift. With that in mind I dug it out from where it had been buried all week and these are the messages that came to me from the World thru my lens.

Catching the last of the sun's rays this black bee was high up in the flowers selecting nectar for it's hive. No self doubt there.


On the edge of the lawn commanding attention is the grand old prickly pear cactus. This year it is laden with fruit and I was reminded that nature's bounty is everywhere.



Further along with my wanderings this scruffy little bird invited my attention. I was reminded that it didn't matter how I look as God created us and values us all equally. We are not ranked according to our 'plumage'.


By now it was bordering on too dark to take a compelling picture but the World wasn't finished with me. I spotted a dove settling in for the evening on a branch safely out of reach of opportunist predators. As I gave it my attention I noticed it's mate was on a branch beside it. Doves are beautiful peaceful creatures and when I saw the two of them on different branches it occurred to me I needed to bring some balance into my thinking to create space for that peace and tranquility I'd been lacking over the week.



Feeling calmed and comforted I put those crazy thoughts to rest for the evening. This morning as I was revisiting my pictures with the thought I could use a few of them in this commentary the World sent me one last message.....



"See? There really is nothing to be concerned about! I will even scratch my chops right in front of you because there is nothing to be afraid of."

This little guy was literally right outside my office window and I was able to pluck my memory card out of the computer, throw it in the camera and take this without leaving my seat. How's that for a metaphor?