Beautiful Diversity of Life

Have you ever noticed how many different colors of flowers there are? Or how many different shaped leaves and shades of green they embody? How about how many distinct shades and patterns of brown, black, white and tan there are in the animal kingdom? Do you ever marvel at how many different forms of life we share our world with?

There is such beautiful diversity of life all around us. In the animal kingdom, we can marvel at everything from the microscopic “bear/pig” tardigrade, to the wolves, deer and wild animals that visit our backyards, to the wonder-inducing exotic animals who forego their freedom to entertain us in zoos, to the bizarre and amazing creatures who inhabit our oceans, to the loving pets we share our homes with. And in the plant kingdom, we need just look at all the gorgeous flowering trees and shrubs, the cultivated gardens, the wildflower meadows, the diversity of forests in every region of the world, and all the delicious food sustenance produced in the earth to see Mother Nature’s signature of delight, imagination and love for us. When I’ve tried to classify just the flowering trees when living in Atlanta, for example, or identify all the food crops that grow in south Texas, I honestly lose count. There is so much diversity, really in everything, all over the world (think people, climates, cultures, in addition to all the plants and animals!). Spectacular! Glorious! Amazing! These are such paltry words to describe the sentiments I have when I let my heart really tune in to the magnificence of all that surrounds us. So, I just try to sit in gratitude and awe as often as I can.