“The awe-inspiring, the numinous, is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention. Hierophany the revelation of the sacred is something that we bring to everyday things, rather than something that is given to us.” – Katherine May, Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age
I’ve recently been struck with the force of ritual in my daily life, the patterns that weave throughout my days. Each season brings new discoveries and joys in the garden, a constant change that ebbs and flows all alongside me, but through all the change, I find small rituals that ground me in the day-to-day. Feeding the chickens in the morning and watering the greenhouse, these constants won’t change although the emergence of tulips and the flowering of the lilac are ephemeral, a joy to be celebrated while they are here.
As time leeringly ticks on, I often rush through my rituals in an attempt to get started on my ever-forbearing to-do list. Often at the end of the day, there are hours I have trouble accounting for as I numb myself from the chores that structure my days. Realizing this, I’ve been seeking to immerse myself in the everyday rituals of my morning. This has led me to a deepening awareness of my senses in a way I have been neglecting. The morning cup of coffee I take alone in the garden is more fully and deeply savored. The softness of the new chicks is admired each day as I take an extra second to marvel at the delicacy of their being. The harvesting of the kitchen produce is more fully relished as I savor the sound of snapping off each rhubarb stem and the crispness of each radish.
With my newfound appreciation for rituals, I have found moments of awe more and more each day. Leaving myself open to the appreciation of new experiences has made me more open to the joys of small discoveries. All around us, a cycle of life is unfolding, connections that we are part of and depend on. Tapping into my senses and staying open to the possibility of awe does not come easily to me. It takes work. This is especially true in this age of constant change, a steady stream of chatter that comes from devices and strains our grasp of time. In all of this, I seek a moment where my mind is quiet. This most often comes after long hours of weeding. It is during this steadying and meditative process that my mind has exhausted itself from its own voice, and finally, silence comes. It is then that I notice the bluebird who has perched on the garden fence watching me work. Looking into those eyes, I find awe, appreciating our relations and the elements that bind us together.
-With Love from the Garden
Shannon
Farm to Table
This month, our tasting room menu features the following items from the Brooks Estate Garden: garlic, scallions, carrots, radish, garden greens, rhubarb, onion, herbs, salad greens, and honey.