4-21: I’m not keeping myself busy just now. I’m feeling a bit like I did as a child living in Greece, when long, hot summer days used to stretch on and on in playing, splashing, wandering, and simple pleasures. Although I do have certain rhythms and some work I need to accomplish, I’m basically letting simplicity and quiet be the essence of my days. For the first time since I was a teenager, I picked up an old, beloved novel and read it during the early morning! One rainy afternoon, I watched a 1950’s Hollywood movie on my laptop with my tea and my cat and a blanket. Sometimes we’re told if we don’t keep our minds occupied and our hands busy, we’ll become anxious or bored. I’ve found the opposite happens: when we allow ourselves to freely roam inwardly and outwardly, we remember what we loved to do, and we’re happier. When we don’t try to make ourselves feel something that someone else thinks we should feel, or that we should do this-or-that, we’re relaxed, and when we’re relaxed, we’re more creative. I’ve discovered myself writing, singing, drawing, cooking, and planting with more bounce than usual. There’s an aspect of the word bloom (“bhel”) that has to do with the word “thrive.” It’s in quiet, in pause, in anticipation that all beings thrive, whether it’s bones, blooms, or consciousness. I’ve discovered the most amazing breakthroughs, revelations, insights, and sublime experiences when I’ve entered the centered stillness of my heart. What blooms in stillness? The answer: everything.