Shelter in Place, San Francisco, September 26, 2020
The Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) js raging now, full bloom. In fact, the sage and the potato vine above it have conspired to take over this corner of the garden. And between my still-limited mobility and their determination, these flowering lovelies have gone unchallenged, so I have chosen to focus on their wild beauty and enthusiasm rather than mourn the loss of a fountain gone to hiding in the shadows. There’s aways time to find the balance, make it right.
We make choices in the things we carry with us and that which we leave behind - loves, fears, memories, sadness, pleasure. Every moment of our lives constitutes a weighing and reweighing of the things that serve us, a small (or large) recalibration. But the burden these days feels heavy indeed, and I cannot seem, for once, to right the weight. How and where do I find joy? How do I balance fear, worry and helplessness with action and resolve? How are we all to cope with the months to come, doing what we can - fearing it is not enough - and letting go the rest? Will we ever have another chance to make it right?