The Mystery of Time

I've put together another deep-thought blog entry this week. For whatever reason, philosophical notions swim between my ears and sometimes writers just need to get them out.

The Mystery of Time

  

By, 

Jennifer E. Miller

Springtime brings an array of color to the otherwise drab landscape of an evaporating winter snow. Green stems poke through the earth and matted grass straightens its posture. The leaves on trees form ever so slowly, twisting and unraveling themselves to transform the brown branches into silky green bushels.

My favorite part of spring is when my garden irises bloom. Their sharp, pointed leaves appear first, followed by the bulges of the buds, tipped with color. Finally, they emerge completely, bathing my garden with rich colors and shapes.

From a philosophical approach: what causes the irises to bloom and unveil on a particular day? How do they know when to appear each year and when to stop blooming and curl back into hibernation mode? It’s strange and mysterious, how plants know when to do their thing.

My irises only bloom late spring and into early summer. Their blossoms are short-lived but it’s a tidbit of the season where I enjoy stopping and admiring their beauty. I often wonder if the reason is a higher conscience telling me to slow down, and enjoy the moment, because the next seasonal phase will arrive soon.

This reasoning makes sense. Once the irises, and other flowers, are done for the season, I turn my attention to planting my vegetable garden. As I monitor its progress, there’s weeding, keeping birds away, and watching for pest infestations. Tasked with gardening duties, there isn’t as much time to admire the flowers.

Which brings me to another observance. What is time? Dictionary.com’s first listed definition of time is “the system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.” That was a mouthful, let’s read it again in a shortened version: “the system of sequential relations that any event has to any other; an indefinite and continuous duration as which events succeed one another.” The phrase that stands out is “the relation [of] events.” Taking the time, or stopping to reflect, and admire my irises, perhaps provides the awareness to shift focus next on my vegetable garden. To the birds, flowers and budding trees are signals to nest. These are examples of how events relate to one another.

The “sequential relation [of] events” correlates to anyone, but perhaps we forget to notice it. As humans, we generally observe nature, rather than take part in it. We, many times, simply see and expect the return of growth and routine of seasons. The signs of nature are cues. Cues and clues to the purpose of anything and everything in the mystery of time.