The Search for the White Indian Paintbrush

One of the joys of living in the country is having a springtime meadow!  Every spring the pasture is full with a large assortment of more than 10 types of wildflowers.  This includes my favorite, the Indian Paintbrush.  

Indian Paintbrushes are usually an orange-red color, yet last year we saw one that had white flowers located near the corner of our inside fence. I estimate that we have tens of thousands of standard Indian Paintbrushes, yet last year I found only one white one.  

One of my favorite things to do on the property is to take a walk in the field, and in the spring and summer I will sometimes pick wildflowers to complement a bouquet started with stems from my cut flower garden.  On most days I take a walk past the corner of the inside fence to look for the white Indian Paintbrush.  Did it survive to seed and regrow this year—who knows?  Yet I look for it every time. 

During these days of COVID-19 isolation, I find it useful to begin looking for the unique and good things in my day.  It is too easy to see what is not good, what is not happy, and what is not fun.  Yet intermixed with the maneuvers of the day are flashes of smiles, glimmers of joy, and lessons learned as we figure out how to enjoy our homes and our families a bit more.  Technological advances are occurring with a speed that only a crisis can produce.  Unusual for sure, yet for us it has not been awful. 

Could we weather this crisis better if we looked tangibly for the good in our day?  Would this give us a positive sense of purpose that motivates and inspires?  Like searching for the white Indian Paintbrush in a large field of thousands of wildflowers, we might be fortunate enough to spot something beautiful and unique. 

Gizmo

I have heard it said that showing people pictures of puppies makes them feel happier.  While this might not be true for everyone, many people’s brains  fire some sort of “happiness neurotransmitters” when sweet little puppy pictures are shown.  I guess this is the reason therapy dogs are so popular in hospitals, nursing homes, and other places.  It is interesting how such cuteness captures us. 

I am one of the lucky ones who gets to have a puppy in my home.  While puppies are a lot of work, they bring a joyfulness that is hard to explain. We are fortunate that he is a pretty good puppy, and yet even when he is bad he is so stinkin’ cute!

One of my favorite things to do at our farm is to take a walk around the property.  The dogs go with me, and since we have enough acreage they can walk without a leash.  Yet if I were to be more precise, the puppy does not “walk.”  He runs ahead at the fastest speed he can muster, then rolls around in the grass with fervor.  He rolls for a while, sniffs for a while, then runs again and repeats.  I can only wonder what is going through that cute little head of his.  Is he chasing a squirrel, rabbit, or mouse?  Whatever it is, he gets it every time!

Another thing about this puppy during our walks is he is truly happy.  His eyes light up, his tongue hangs out, and he has not one single worry on his mind.  At that moment he is fully invested.  At that moment he is the luckiest dog in the world.  I wish I could cast my cares aside like that. 

What is it that has you worried today?  What has made you sad or downhearted?  I don’t have all the answers, and I realize we can’t escape from our problems too long.  Yet it helps to do something we enjoy for a while to relieve tension.  We could learn a thing or two from this sweet little puppy named Gizmo.  If we could embrace our joys with the same fervor that Gizmo uses to frolic in the grass, we might find we feel a lot better.