Year of the Orchid

Having time to pursue your passions is what life should be about. Not working X number of hours a week so you can make your payments...

I have tried very hard to eliminate the clutter in my life. A lot of this clutter was self imposed because of the needs & wants issues. Do I need a roof over my head and food on the table, well yes. Do I need the best of everything or just what will fill my true needs? I need to go to work, but can I walk, take a bus, ride a bicycle? Or do I drive a new car with large payments and expensive insurance?

This year I have actually spent time slowing down to witness/document the cycle of the orchid blossom. 
The old saying of stop and smell the roses should be; slow down and witness the cycle of the orchid blossom. 
The whole event starts with the shoot that comes out of the middle of the plant that you know is the blossom branch. Yeah for me this is exciting just because you do not know when or how many blossom's you will be pleasured with; or more importantly how long you will be blessed with the beauty of the orchid blossom...

Today I actually noticed something profound to me, something I had never seen before, or should I say; "taken the time to see". 
How an orchid blossom dies. 

One of my plants that peaked with 7 blossoms, showed signs of the blossoms dying today. After I really took the time to look at the plant, I could see one blossom was dead and three others were in the process of dying. Upon further study, I could see three distinct steps to the orchid blossom manner of dying. This revelation came after 6 months of the visual enjoyment and tending to the orchids. 
Sometimes though I did not spend the time to enjoy their visual beauty, right there under my own eyes...

If you look at the picture above (the white orchid), you will see the blossom in a perfect state. 
The following pictures show the 3 stages of death of the orchid blossom. 

This first picture is one of the blossoms that is just starting to show the signs;

This second picture shows the beginning of the curling of the inner part of the blossom;

This third picture shows the final stage before the blossom falls off the stem (probably tomorrow). 

A complete curling or closure of the inner part of the blossom. With the petals showing progressive signs of deterioration. Almost as if the petals are made of tissue paper. 

WOW!

Orchids show beauty in birth, life, and death.

With life there is always death, what we choose to make of the journey in between is up to us. 

What are we missing that is right there in front of us, and do not spend the quality time to appreciate...

W