Quo vadis?

The end of the calendar year is coming quickly. It’s time of balancing and planning. We look back to analyze mistakes, recall successes and compile list of resolutions to make following year even better.

How far does the influence of our will go? I have no doubt that will and determination are essential but not absolute. For example, I experienced how one infected tick bite ruined my plans for many months. I had to slow down my lifestyle, change priorities and focus my will in new directions.

And you know what? As soon as the body began to recover, the most difficult part was to stop fighting with destiny. I lost other months by trying to get myself back instead of going forward and accepting the change of course.

I wish to be more flexible and less proud, so I drew the picture to remind me, that limitations exist and some of them must be accepted.

And maybe in the future I will even understand that the small infected tick was an important tool of destiny, leading to happiness and prosperity. Who knows?

So I would like to wish all of us what somebody wise has already said before. Keep courage to change things that can be changed, keep humility to accept things that cannot be changed, and be wise enough to recognize the difference between.

Happy New Year!
Ivana

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Mistletoe

When I was a small girl, we didn’t keep many traditions in our family. But having a Christmas tree and mistletoe was a must. I loved colorful lights and gifts, as well as the scent of fresh needles, but I didn’t care why people cut trees and moved them into their homes.

However I was curious about the mistletoe. Where does it grow and why does it look like a bird’s nest? What are the white mini-balls? And why people paint the mistletoe with gold or silver color? Isn’t green good enough for holiday’s decoration?

My mother patiently explained to me that the mistletoe grows high in the trees, so it’s not easy to get it. It symbolizes happiness, health and prosperity, which is also not easy to get. And some people are painting mistletoe silver or gold to increase the probability that it happens.

Much later I learned that mistletoe belongs to the medicinal plants and that people from ancient times attributed extraordinary and even magical qualities to it. I always felt great respect for the mistletoe, but my curiosity was always stopped by the knowledge that this plant is poisonous. Plus there were plenty of other plants I could play with.

Of course I noticed several nests of mistletoe in my neighborhood – high in the trees, difficult to access. Exactly how my mother said. But recently, I found mistletoe on the path, fell down in windy weather. It reminded me, that although happiness or prosperity seems to be far away, sometimes the opportunity falls down right under our feet. Then it depends if we catch it and make use of it.

I picked it from the path, brought it home and drew picture of mistletoe with the bird, responsible for spreading seeds of it. I hope you like it, and I double hope it brings you happiness, health and prosperity as my mother promised 🍀

Happy holidays!

Ivana

The evolution of parenthood

I had a chat with my friend about the public discussion whether homosexual couples can adopt or educate children. All speakers seem to be guided by the future prosperity of the children, having arguments about missing patterns, confusion in traditional values and a wide range of potential risks.

One part of my self understands such debates as manifestation of democracy and a gateway to liberal legislation. The second part considers such debates to be useless or even waste of time.

In my opinion, sexual orientation has such influence on the quality of parenthood as a place of birth. Neither of which we can change. But regardless of place of birth or sexual orientation, each one of us can have enough love and ability to take care of another human being. And this is, again in my personal opinion, the only meaningful optics to read the issue.

Perhaps the same discussion was led by the representatives of the plant kingdom a few million years ago. For a long time, they couldn’t agree on the rights of male and female plants, about competencies and responsibilities for offspring. Perhaps even a war has occurred and most of the plants with declared sexuality have been destroyed. Only a few resistant species remained like nettle, and since then it has been said that nettle couldn’t be burn even by frost.

A large group of peaceful plants that considered offspring higher than ego went through an admirable transformation. In order to avoid fighting of genders, they began to create both – male and female organs in the same flower. And this concept is dominant in the plant kingdom today.

I am afraid, that humankind is far behind the plants in evolution. But I still hope in healthy mind and loving heart.

Ivana