~BEYOND THE PORCH~ June 15, 2020
Today, I pay homage to the author of The Secret Garden, who grabbed hold of me in formative years and transformed isolation. The unknown can be scary.
One of my favorite parts is:
When Mary tells Dickon, "Don't let us make it tidy. It wouldn't seem like a secret garden if it was tidy."
(“Often times there is beauty in the natural state of things, even when that natural state is one that appears unkempt.”)
Something magical occurs when I step out my door. The anticipation of going around that corner, or just another block is exhilarating.
Something amazing happened when
I investigated the south western quadrant this morning, a yet undiscovered slice of my neighborhood.
Two more walled secret garden gates piqued my interest. It awakened my imagination and sense of wonder.
What good and beautiful things must be on the other side remains a mystery. Sometimes we are so used to Southern California's magnificence that we forget to explore the hidden pockets of beauty hiding right in front of our eyes.
The joy and delight of finding mysterious walls and discovering their entrances is always the highlight of my day.
To have experiences and see the world around, one must leave the comforts of home.
The garden is a powerful metaphor.
“Six months before Mistress Mary would not have seen the world was waking up, but now she missed nothing.”
“When her mind gradually filled itself with robins, and moorland cottages crowded with children, with queer crabbed old gardeners and common little Yorkshire housemaids, with springtime and secret gardens coming alive day by day, and also with a moor boy and his ‘creatures,’ there was no room left for disagreeable thoughts…” The Secret Garden, Francis Hodgson Burnett.
GASP! The Secret Garden is often listed as an example of racist classic literature.
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