“Ann, this is the time of year when that garden you worked on so hard last year starts making itself known. Thanks to the love and tenderness that you and your friend, Meridith, showed it – here it is now just beginning to show off – and, show off it will. Your own Secret Garden. Your own paradise. It’s your place of contentment.
Author Sarah Ban Breathnach says in Simple Abundance how important it is for one to create an outdoor sanctuary. It doesn’t have to be a big formal garden – it can be a chair and table in a shady nook or a hammock between the two maple trees, or a little sitting area on the patio or porch. Wherever it is and however it looks, it can be your respite, your retreat when you need some quiet time.
And, heaven knows, just being outside, seeing a pretty flower, listening to the bee music in the garden, watching the antics of hummingbirds, and hearing the wind through the leaves, can be better than any prescription drug for the ultimate calming of your soul.
Use that time outside to weed out the stuff that’s bothering you – the stuff that’s causing a mess in your interior secret garden. You’ll be surprised if you take the time and treat it as a gift for yourself.
Keep on doing it. You’ll love the results. And, you’re welcome.”
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In July 2015, Ann’s sister, Linda, came to visit her in Vermont. It just so happened that Zen Frog showed up on that very day, too. Zen Frog decided to stay and found a perfect guru spot on the deck surrounded by trees, overlooking a garden, and having beautiful little Mt. Peg in the background. Since then, Zen Frog has shared her wisdom with Ann, who in turn shares it with you.
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