Patterns & Chaos

As avocado growers we count on our Northern San Diego County weather, coined, the banana-belt, because of the moderate climate. We grow semi-tropical plants, so when a freak cold snap came through, it killed a lot of our youngest avocado trees and bananas. When the thermometer hit 104 on April 5th, the tender blossoms and buds on the trees were toast. As of last year our water was restricted by 30%, this year it could be 40%, and avocados really love their water. Being adaptable, we found a free municipal source of mulch. It was not perfect as it had bits of trash but hey, it was free including delivery. We got about a dozen, 40’ semi truck loads of mulch and distributed it throughout the grove. The trees loved it.

Some of the mulch was used in the yard around the house. Soon out of the mulch all kinds of cool plants began to sprout. Oddly it wasn’t weeds but all kind of interesting flowers, shrubs and trees. Our landscaping is new and incomplete, so a lot of the plants were put to use. Flowers included sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos, and trees like ginko, fig, mimosa, jacaranda, pomegranate and some promising mystery plants began to grow. Granted I had to move some things and eliminate others but it has been an ongoing source of pleasure & discovery.

There are those times when rhythms and connectivity of nature, juxtapose its chaos. Random disruptions in the patterns fuel the two sided sword of extinction and evolution. This holds true from our internal stories, and patterns, our health, money and relationships all flower forth from the pattern. Just as weather is wonkie and we call that climate change, there is a deeper shift, in each of us…for better or worse…the pattern had been disrupted. This time there is the option to do it differently than by our forefathers and mothers. This time we have the opportunity to wake up within the pattern and have a say in the direction of variation, or not and stay asleep.

I know this can seem nihilistic or extreme but it can be a simple as taking a slow deep breath, centering oneself and making conscious choices and actions throughout the day.
This slowing can,
in and of itself,
make room
for awakening,
new lines of connection,
activating internal authority
and faith in the process.

We accept the waning and waxing of the moon,
the cycles of the seasons and tides,
as a comfort,
but when applying natural cycles,
to self ,
or gross national product,
we always seem surprised.

For better or worse, personal and planetary change is on the loose. And it affects everyone as our stories allow it, but like wonderful plants sprouting in my garden there exists a parallel mystery enfolded within the change. Surfing the wake of deconstruction is as simple as faith, spring follows winter, and high tides, and a full moon always cycle round.