THERE IS BEAUTY IN DIVERSITY

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This morning went out for my usual early morning walk. As I was rounding the block and aiming for the hill... the rains came tumbling down! Ohhh.. there goes my early morning walk, I thought as I soft-jogged my way back to the house. And just when I was already in my house dress Mr. Sun came bursting out from behind the gray clouds shining brilliantly like he was enjoying the big joke he threw at me just a few minutes ago! Oh well.. !!

Yesterday's .morning walk was such a delight though. You would probably be thinking that walking these same roads, neighborhood, and hill repeatedly for so long now would have exhausted everything there was to see.

Maybe... or maybe not.

Things may look the same but not really.

Movement, Change, Birth. Growth. Decline.

Of such are the things of the earth and of life.

If you do not pay close attention, you will certainly miss its beauty, wonder, joy..... or miss to be awesomely amazed by it all.

Like this plant I saw up the hill.... a huge leaf standing tall and erect with its glistening young green color seemed to greet me with a huge "Hi five!!". And I hi-5'd back at it, grinning. Buti na lang walang tao sa kalye! :-D (Luckily there was nobody around that time of day!)

Not far from it stood this gorgeous flower ...once a shy tiny bud now proudly showing off its dazzling brilliant color in full bloom. Movement and change. It lends fresh color to the world.

Farther up ahead, I saw (again) this cluster of huge mushrooms (remember my post several months ago on the same mushrooms as large as my shoe?) ...but this time several have grown black in color (decline)... as new fresh ones sprouted nearby (birth).

Round the corner up ahead bloomed Birds of Paradise (thanks IC Guerrero for the name) standing proudly in a cluster, too, on the shoulder of the road. Birds of the same feather flock together, aye!? Just like humans do.

Then a handsome dog caught my eye as I continued up the hill. It appeared shut out of his human's home as he stood patiently waiting outside the gate hoping that somebody would open it and let him in. Just a thought here, if you can't take good care of your pets... don't get one. Don't even think about owning one. Because having a pet in your home is having another member added to your family. Be responsible for it. Love it like you would your child. My family has four dogs and eight cats. By the way, the word dog spelled backwards is God. It's just a reminder that nothing in God's creation is insignificant. Everything is .. for a reason. That means animals, too.

As I forced myself to walk past it (with a heavy heart), I came upon a middle-aged lady who was sweeping that part of the street fronting her house. When she saw me approaching she smiled a pleasant "Good morning!" That took the gloom out of my heart as I smiled back at her and moved on bouncing happily in my steps. Be generous with smiles; it can do wonderful things.

Walking downhill I saw a friendly neighbor who had a small bonfire going by the side of the road and under his fruits trees (several more I could see in his yard). I stopped to say hello. With a wide grin he said "Di ka talaga pumapalya noh?!" (You don't really miss your morning walks aye?!) I smiled even more with "Pwera lang kung umulan." (Except when it rains.) Stayed a few minutes more to admire his fruit trees now bearing fruits to which he said I was welcome to it anytime I wished so. Friends are the true treasures of a neighborhood, a community, a town or city, a country or of the world. They add to the spice of life and living with their own individual brand of uniqueness and with their blessed contribution to humanity.

As I neared my block and was just a few houses away from home ... I noticed the lush greenery outside a neighbor's gate. But these two particular bushes ... each different from the other in color and shape.... and yet sharing the same air, soil, and space stood side by side. Together. Happily. Humans can learn something from that.

There is beauty in diversity.

Have a lovely day and week. God bless you!