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.
