“Sweet April showers do bring May flowers,” as the rhyme and metaphor by Thomsa Tusser goes. For the sake of my garden, I couldn’t be happier with that truism. As my family, friends, and followers know, I am a serious gardener. But beyond its literal meaning, this simple phrase could be a metaphor for life. When we focus intently on something we want to either nourish or manifest in our lives, we “shower” attention on our selected aspect, and those precious thoughts can indeed begin to flower into reality.
“Thoughts are things,” as Edgar Cayce used to say, but we can never forget to sow those seeds in the physical, to allow those April showers to do their part and help turn seeds into flowers, plants, veggies, etc.!
It is always wonderful for me to recognize when expressions coined such a long time ago emerge as meaningful now. Often featured among many of the cultures that have handed down their words of wisdom, generation after generation, is the “Grandmother Storyteller.”
The story telling ritual has existed for centuries in native communities as sacred oral history. The image of the Grandmother Storyteller is a symbol of the times when grandmothers gathered the native children in a circle to teach and share with the youngsters, through the tribe’s own stories. The circle was a place within which to impart myths, legends, traditions, ancestral tales, and ultimately the wisdom of the people. How wonderful!
I’m sure many of you remember the stories passed down from your own grandmothers to you directly, or perhaps through your mom. A wonderful way to bestow hidden knowledge about the family history, ancestry, and environments.
Speaking of passing down family traditions and history, in Japan an ancient belief is that people are held responsible for their ancestors’ deeds and actions. In short, although Karma is significant in many other cultures, the belief here is that Karma is passed down to succeeding generations of family members. Given that we often reincarnate with the same groups of people, and at times within the same family tree, this Japanese philosophy has a ring of truth.
On pearl of wisdom I like to pass along from my own teachers is that we, while in spirit, chose our parents. Which sometimes may beg the question, “Why would I choose them?” One short answer of course is to grow spiritually. For a more detailed explanation, please see my book, Everything Happens for a Reason. There I have tried my best to pass along many of the important messages that have come to me in my work, and thus in my own way honor the tradition of Grandmother Storyteller. For you never know when your own words of wisdom will make a difference in someone’s life. It’s very tough to predict, but it’s not uncommon.
Here’s one prediction I can make will full confidence. April showers are going to bring May flowers for all the mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, and everyone this coming Mothers Day.
But that’s next month. Right now, let’s live in the moment and enjoy April! Spring is finally here!
