The Lotus in the Pond

Let us take a slow walk... you and I.

The morning is soft and cool. A path of smooth stones leads into the garden. We step slowly. One step... and another. The dew is cool under our feet. Far away, a little bird sings.

The path ends at a quiet pond. The water is so still. It looks like a mirror. We see the sky in it. We see a white cloud in it.

We sit down on a flat stone by the water. We breathe in... and out.

In the middle of the pond, there is a lotus bud. It is pink and closed, like two hands folded in namaste. It rests on a round green leaf.

We watch it. We wait. The bud does not open fast. It does not need to. No hurry... the lotus knows its time.

A little butterfly flutters in. It sits on the leaf. "Are you open yet? Are you open yet?" it seems to ask. The bud stays closed. The butterfly flutters away. That is okay.

The sun climbs a little higher. Its warm light falls on the pond. A soft breeze makes tiny ripples. Then the water is still again.

Slowly... very slowly... one pink petal moves. It opens a little. Then another. And another. No hurry... the lotus knows its time.

Now the lotus is open. Its petals are soft and wide. In the middle, it glows golden in the sun. It floats on the still water, calm and happy.

The butterfly comes back. It sees the open flower and rests on it, very still.

We sit here a little longer. We feel the sun on our hands. We feel the cool stone under us. Everything opens in its own time. No hurry... the lotus knows its time.