Black and White Flowers
by Janet

Rhapsody in Black & White

Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest man has hardly need to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! 

henry david thoreau

I thought I’d do something different for my new series Going Green. A black and white photograph to represent my thoughts on simplicity and contentment. It’s not screaming its significance, but I’m pretty sure it will do the trick.

Why do we fritter our lives away, wasting time on things that don’t really matter? Are we still hellbent on keeping up with the Joneses or—better yet—hoping to surpass them? Are we worried we won’t get our “fair share” if we don’t jump out and grab it like everyone else? Yes, that means bathroom tissue too but it goes much deeper than that.

In thinking about all things green, one negative emotion came to mind and I thought it best to get it out of the way before moving on to greener pastures (no pun intended).

ENVY: painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage. Merriam-Webster. The feeling that you wish you had something that someone else has. Cambridge.

The grass is not always greener on the other side, so why fritter away the hours trying to get there. Enjoy the simplicity in your life. Find contentment. Time is short, so love what you’ve got while you’ve got it. I don’t know about anyone else, but while things are slowing down (with school and work shutdowns and stay-at-home advisories), I’m going to use any extra time I find to soak in the quiet, get some spring cleaning done…

…and appreciate what I’ve got: My health. My family’s health. A roof over our head and food to eat. And… as it stands… enough tissue to make it through the night (same as it always is).

Thank you for reading, I hope you’ve found something enjoyable here.

Peace, love, and good health to you all!
—Janet

17 Comments

  1. Oh yes, I always find great wealth here, Janet. So, now we’re writing about “green”? I salute you for “spring cleaning”–I’m not there yet (just imagine how many steps you’ll get in!) Other than that it’s impacting some people financially–if they can’t get to their closed work places–I’m loving the idea that this is kind of an enforced time-out–an opportunity to slow the pace, focus on contentment and gratitudes. You rock!! xxoo ❤

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    1. Thanks Z! And yes on green haha. It was a hasty decision but I’m going to stick it out for a week or two. Feel free to join in again! 😘❤

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    2. Okey dokey–I’m not big on green…and I already did the Kermit the Frog ‘Bein’ Green’ post…but surely I can come up with something to offer you!! 🙂

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    6. Do you enjoy the traditional St Pat’s dinner–corned beef, cabbage and potatoes? I’ll be cooking mine in crock pot tomorrow 🙂 🙂 Yumm!

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    7. Not so much. I do like it but we don’t really cook it up or celebrate for that matter. We’re only part Irish lol. Sounds yummy though and I love cooked cabbage!!

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    8. Well, regardless–I’ve got a great St Pat’s post with a “green” poem for you…and those dreamy Celtic Thunder guys…sigh…💚💚💚

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  2. Love your message about the green grass and appreciating what we have! Sending you and your mom good thoughts and health!! 💕Xx
    P.S. Love the photo too!!!

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