Bloom Anyway!

Part of me is not ready for summer to be over.
Not ready to watch the yard change out its summer coat for dusty brown, one blade at a time. Up here we tend to flower beds, fruit trees, and turf 10 months out of the year, so that 2 months can be beautiful-- August, and September.

But part of me is ready.
I tip-toed over to Chantée's rock garden yesterday, as if one false step would chase away the perfect mountain morning. We're past due for frost, but still rainclouds from a zealous monsoon have kept the heat in every night...
And so in the chill of an almost-October morning at 8,000 feet there were still flowers singing glory amongst the rocks.

Thought I:
Boy, you'd think it was about time for hibernation. Seriously, all this praise will come to a screeching halt in a few days, for frost can't be all that far away. Be quick and spread seed. The time for blooms is past...


Or is it?

When I tiptoed back away from the garden, little flowers that wordlessly sing hallelujah had taught me another lesson...

Bloom anyway.

Let the frost come! For one last glorious moment color will shine through crystal, and then the flower's work will be done.
Sing to the finish.

If spring is time for growing, and summer is time for loving, then fall is time for giving.

And that's the most beautiful thing of all...