Gratitude: Late Summer Garden

I am really thankful for the flower garden we have had this year. Since we are facing a freeze/frost tonight, I went out to gather the last of the flowers that had any decency left to them. Most of them are curled and dry and fading, but the purple zinnias are glowing like they're under a black light.

This summer, the garden was a happy place. It was joyful to go out there when everything was blooming and see all the pollinators having a party, the butterflies flitting around in the sunlight and the bees engrossed in their buzzing, clinging to each pistil and stamen to savor every drop of nectar. It was especially cheerful in September when the goldenrod and aster were blooming and everything else was so quiet – only the shush of a breeze through all the tall stems and the low drone of the insects in the undergrowth.

All this evokes a feeling of deep contentment, of satisfying work, of completion and peaceful rest. Thank you, God, for the garden.