A Surprise in the Garden: Thursday's Reflection

 What do you notice in this photograph of the garden, which was taken a week ago? 

Yes, you are seeing iris. Beautiful white iris. 

Now iris normally bloom in the spring, maybe early summer, but certainly not in September. What's the deal? Is this one of these climate change things or what?

Or is it just a delightful, unexplainable surprises? One of those things we will recall next year. "Remember the white iris from last fall?"

Each time I walked to the garage recently I felt a moment of surprise all over again. I stopped briefly and experienced a quickening of pleasure. One of those "wow" moments that makes me pause. A moment of grace, of gratitude. 

These white iris remind me to open my eyes, to open my heart to other surprises, other gifts. And, of course, what I discover and what should be no surprise is how many opportunities there are to marvel and to be delighted and to be grateful. 

Here are just a few:

* The sound of neighborhood children walking to school in the morning.
* The smell of freshly baked gingersnap cookies and homemade soup.
* The laughter of friends around our table.
* Baptism of two more babies at church.
* Words carefully crafted and vulnerably shared in my writing group
* The warmth of a sweater and slippers as the temperatures drop.
* A new book ready to be opened.

The more I notice the more there is to notice.  

 An Invitation
When have you been surprised lately? I would love to know.