One of my Favorite Times
This time of year, as the leaf bids begin to pop on the trees and the early flowers are blooming is very enjoyable to me. After the slightly negative tone of my last post, I wanted to focus on the positive and share a bit of what brings me joy and piece.
There’s a certain feeling that comes with the signs of new growth, longer days, and warmer air. It’s nourishing to my soul and reassuring that life continues. There’s the buzz in the air of the early pollinators beginning to go about their business.
I take solace in an early morning walk around the garden with a cup of coffee. The warmth of the cup is a perfect balance to the cool but not cold air. As I browse through my meager bonsai collection and garden beds, I look for the changes from one day to the next. Things start to move quickly and I don’t want to miss any of it.
The Comfort of Routine
During the morning tour, I mentally take note of the chores that need to be done. Most days I will need to water after I finish my coffee. Sometimes my attention is caught by a pest taking up resident and I will need to come back around and spray during the evening.
The bonsai also require that I keep up with fertilizer and make sure that I’m rotating out the organic packets on schedule for optimal health. I will also need to inspect the wiring on a regular basis to make sure that it’s doing its job and not beginning to cut into the bark of the tree as the branches swell from growth.
I’ve been told that this routine looks a bit ridiculous to the casual observer. Mrs C’s friends have gotten a kick out of it. That doesn’t bother me in the least. The simple mechanical nature of it is almost meditative for me. You see, plants are very easy going if you treat them right. There’s not a whole lot of stress here. It’s the diametric opposite of what I do for my day job.
Growing for the Future
One of the other key aspects that I enjoy about the bonsai hobby is being able to think generationally. Some of the great masterpieces in Japan have been cultivated for decades and even centuries. These trees are often cared for by multiple descendants of the same family.
Each year for the past few years, I have been starting seedlings with the intent to cultivate them as bonsai over their entire life. It’s very humbling to know that this may even exceed my own lifespan. With some species that I grow, I may never see them as mature bonsai.
Tying it Together
As I got close to finishing this post, it occurred to me that this type of cultivation is very similar to the work we do with personal finance. We’re not always growing it for right now. Sometimes, we’re not even growing it for us but for the next generation.
Today, I am focusing on appreciating life. Despite the clouds of yellow death pollen.
Cheers!
-cb3