Authenticity

11 July 2013 How interesting! When I drew this card, my first thought was 'oh great, there is lots to write about this one'. Since then I have spent very little time writing. Partly for a reason to be celebrated: the wonderful spell of weather we are having here in Cornwall (and much of the rest of the UK). Glorious 'real summer' weather of long hot days, coming home from work to sit under a shady umbrella and just enjoy being outdoors. Eating our evening meal in the garden every day. Also because, although there may be lots to write about authenticity, other people have written many pages of good stuff already. Maybe that is one pf the things that has stopped me? Maybe writing about being authentic and feeling I am echoing someone else's words feels inauthentic? In this moment, while writing these thoughts for you - now - I return to look at the card. In my 'wobblyness' about trying to be authentic, I smile to see that this is one of the 'skew-whiff' photos. Those of you who have read these musings from the beginning may remember that I mentioned that I took the photos all on the same day (in what was then a rare sunny spell) and felt it would be more natural not to worry too much about lining each one up in a regimented straightness. So that in a strange way has helped me, acknowledging my uncertainty is in itself being genuine, being authentic. Then I focus on the colour: it is another of the cards in the glorious cerise pink of my Dare to Blossom passionflower. A zinging colour of energy and compassion that fills my heart with joy. It has been so exciting over the last week - the passionflower plant in our conservatory that supplied the flowers for my photos that you see at the top of this message has just started to bloom again. Every morning as we open the curtains we anticipate with excitement if a flower will be newly-opened. This year, for the first time ever, some branches of the plant have grown outside the conservatory, 'escaping' through the ventilation gaps, and there are flower buds on these. They are beginning to develop the pink colour that means it will not be long until they open up in all their glory.  Nature does not concern herself with an abstract concept of 'authenticity', everything in nature just is authentically itself and blossoms to it's best ability. And that is truly authentic - whether the plant is a stunning passionflower, or the tiny pale blue flowers of a forget-me-not that is growing, against all the odds, in a tiny bit of soil collected in the join between the base of the wall and the concrete path just beneath, and almost unnoticed. Unnoticed but being itself, fulfilling it's purpose of being a forget-me-not. Babies and small children are also truly, authentically, themselves. We are people, not plants, and for human society to work there are systems of manners and polite behaviour which most of us, most of the time, feel OK with. Maybe authenticity is doing our best to express, in an assertive, non-aggressive, way what our needs are, whilst being aware of the needs of others too. What do you think? Do you have a personal definition or favourite quote about authenticity? I would love to hear from you if you do, and you could start a discussion by commenting just below if you wish. Thank you as always for reading, until next time, best wishes Mary