The Most Rev. Martin D. Holleydelivers Bouquets of Hope.
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John H. White~ Photojournalist
"Newspapers may come and go, but great storytellers will be with us forever" Karen Pulfer Focht
Berto Guerrero and his baby Massi were strolling in the west loop last Saturday. John H. White and I were heading to get breakfast and catch up. John H. White is my hero, dearest friend and mentor. He is the kind of person that is a blessing to everyone he meets.
White is a Pulitzer Prize winner who worked for the Chicago Sun Times before they decided to lay off their entire staff. Even though White is retired, he still carries his camera everywhere he goes; he still has the rookie spirit with a pro's eye and a passion for visual storytelling.
Guerrero happened to catch John's eye. It was the way he lovingly carried his baby while multitasking, carrying his dry cleaning and drinking his coffee. White stopped to take his picture. As the two started to talk White determined that he and this baby shared the same birthday. Coincidence? White told the baby's father that he would send him a photo of the sunrise from the day the baby was born. It is Whites habit to start each day on the lake as the sunrises over lake Michigan and meditate.
Guerrero mused of how much love he felt for his new little baby. We stood outside of the Oprah Winfrey Harpo Studios and exchanged some pleasantries. We smiled together all feeling blessed by our chance encounter. I told Guerrero it was his lucky day and that he had no idea how special the man is who just took his picture.
White said as we walked away "there are some pictures we take and there are some pictures that say take me" Always the teacher he then added "there are visual treasures out there for those who see them and those who are alert to them."
"Be blessed,” he said to Guerrero as we walked away. White who is a minister’s son, in many ways is unaware of what a blessing he is to everyone he encounters, whether he takes their picture or not.
Why I Love Ants-
Hi, My name is Karen and I am a floraholic, I especially have a weakness for Peonies.
-Romantic peonies are regarded as an omen of good fortune and a happy marriage.
-They are the floral symbol of China and believed to bring good luck.
-Ants play an important role in the blooming of peony flowers. The flower buds produce nectar that attracts ants, which help to open the buds. Although peonies will bloom without ants, the ants do help them along.
- In ancient times, peonies were used for medicinal purposes including curing headaches, relieving pain during childbirth and the treatment of asthma.
- Long ago, people believed that peonies protected them from demons.
-They can live to be ONE HUNDRED years old!
The Memphis Botanic Gardens Blog Post About My Photo Exhibit
Young people from the American Jewish Society for Service are working with Grow Memphis to build urban gardens in food deserts around Memphis. They have engaged locals to help take care of the gardens. Grow Memphis partners with communities in Memphis and Shelby County to promote a sustainable local food system. Flowers lift moods for people in blighted areas too. Maybe we should plant more flowers in some of the "mood deserts."
Mood Desert?
Zen Peony
I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck. ~Emma Goldman
I’d have to say I agree with Emma Goldman on this one. For one of my landmark birthdays, I asked my husband for a large rock. Not the kind of rock I’d put on my finger, but a large boulder for the front yard. I wanted to plant flowers around it.
I took a bare spot in the very back of my yard, behind the woods, years ago, and turned it into a cutting garden.
Watching my mother die from Alzheimer’s was very painful. The experience taught me how to care for my soul. Starting that garden was part of that journey and what an amazing gift and sacred space that garden bloomed into.
Having beautiful fresh flowers in my home was one of those small things that soothed me while I was caring for my mother. I also liked to bring flowers to her.
I once thought, if I could have peonies all year long it would make me happy. But then again, would it? There is something special and sacred about the rhythm of nature. Eating fresh foods that are in season, enjoying the blooms of flowers when they are naturally in bloom and not forced. I have more gratitude and appreciation for some flowers and foods because they are only available once a year. They are ripe when it is their time, their season, and then they are gone until next year. I enjoy them more deeply knowing that.
There is nothing that teaches the art of being in the present moment like Alzheimer’s. There is also nothing that teaches being in the present moment as well as a blooming flower.
Zen Peony
DO YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO DREAM?
"All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today."
Indian Proverb
While a bloom opens in its own time, while being urged from the sun, the moon, the seasons, it's seeds are like our dreams. We need to dream. We need to allow our imaginations to cultivate the seeds of our dreams. Allow your mind to be the good soil that beautiful flowers bloom in.
Photography by Karen Pulfer Focht ©