The Hops May Bloom

Last year, I planted a hops vine beside the deck where I sit outside and meditate (watch the trees grow and the clouds float by). That first year it wasn't much of a vine, and it didn't bloom either. This year, though, the vine winds and curls along the deck railing in an explosion of growth. In the fall, it may yet bloom with a pretty green flower that I can make into tea. Sometimes what we plant takes time to get established and bloom. Plant seeds of confidence and trust (or whatever it is that you want to grow!) and it will bloom in its own time.

Joe and I started The Refuge at Pudding Creek right as the pandemic started in 2020. Things flourished in ways we couldn't have imagined and in other ways everything has been slower to develop than I had hoped. One of the biggest lessons is to work diligently towards my dreams while simultaneously letting go of expectations. The hops may bloom, the retreat center may flourish. Put in the work to create the conditions for growth and success. Then let go. Something is bound to happen and life just might surprise you.