Tales from the garden

Sitting in the shade of the tree planted in my grandmothers memory.
A little bird uses the branch to scout the grass. With her red breast she starts singing sweet songs. The melody enchants me. Slowly I start hearing words instead of whistles.

Don’t worry about tomorrow, live and take each day as it comes. Follow your heart.

A little mouse runs by, then he hits the breaks and suddenly comes to a halt, raises itself on it’s hind legs in front of me and says. Don’t you have a responsibility? I look down at him quizzical, caught by surprise, I ask; Who might you be to ask me such a question? Well I’m the mouse that roams your garden and I see you doing nothing all day. If you want to follow your dreams you’ll have to work for it! Even more surprised by his prompt reply, I answer; How do you know about my dreams? There’s a lot you don’t know about mice he answered, as if he is master of the stage. I know about your quest and I know about the girl you are dreaming of. Sorry but I don’t quite understand what is it what I need to do? If you where a mouse you wouldn’t sit down all day, there are things to do, go explore, find new things, build something or do some gardening. But how is that going to fulfill my dreams? Ow you’ll see, sorry got to run, busy busy and the mouse shoots away.

What a strange thing, did that just really happen? I ask myself. Then from my right I hear a deep voice speaking very slowly; Don’t worry everything comes at it’s own pace, rushing is for the mice. I look but I can’t seem to locate where the voice is coming from. Down here, the deep slow voice continues. I look down and scout the grass where I see a snail hanging from a leaf. Is it you who is talking? Yeeees said the snail annoyed by the obvious. Are you going to provide me with unasked advice as well I say. Well only if you want to hear it, I’ve got all day, said the snail. So you say it’s okay to do nothing? I ask. You can’t do nothing your always doing something, he answered. Your dreams will come, they will still be there tomorrow and the day after and the next. So who is right then, you or the mouse?! I say. The mouse is right and I am right and the snail slowly moves along.

With the snail out of sight I step from my chair and stroll quietly trough the garden looking at all the beautiful flowers and the the structures of green. I think about the advice just given; Don’t worry enjoy the moment and to hurry there are things to do while it’s also okay do to nothing, I’m confused.
I sit myself down on the bench on a circle of stones to enjoy a bit of sunshine.

Suddenly the ground below me seems to start moving. Hundreds maybe thousands of ants appear from below the stones. All running around like crazy. One of them comes climbing up the bench and stops on the armrest next to me. Are you ready for the big event today says the ant with female voice. What is the big event your talking about? I ask. Don’t you know, we have waited all winter and all of spring for our warriors to get ready to fly. Fly you say? But ants don’t have wings, I say.

Ow you wait, you wait!

The next moment a big ant comes from underneath the rock with big white wings on his back. Behold the winged warrior! he says triumphantly. More ants follow him all with wings. A little squadron of ants holding tiny trumpets gather on top of the rock. The winged warrior shouts; Ready for take-off! The trumpets make the air vibrate. The ant who announced himself walks forward and unfolds his wings. A gentle flap followed by another one and another one. The motion of his wings starts to become more smooth, more natural to the perfect rhythm and lifts him of the ground. Then the next ant follows and the next, hundreds of flying ants are leaving the nest.

Some climb up the bench or the table to use the higher altitude as springboard. I see them in line on my armchair ready to face adventure. I watch the whole event with astonishment till the last warrior has taken to the air. That was beautiful, I say. The little ant still sitting next to me tilts her head and says. You are a warrior too you know and one day you will fly.

Amazed I sit there for a while. The ants move quietly back to their nest. I look around the garden and feel lush.

Then a butterfly starts circling me, I follow the beautiful creature with my eyes. Then she promptly lands on my forehead. She whispers; To fly requires preparation, follow your heart, enjoy the miracles, follow your dreams and you’ll become a butterfly.