60 Before 60 Project: #58 - Tour the Botanical Gardens

Have you ever heard people rave about visiting places near you but you’ve never actually visited them yourself? 

The Botanical Gardens is that place for me. 

I’ve heard from many people what a wonderful place it is to wander around and admire the different gardens and vegetation but I have never gone. So when I was speaking with one of my friends about different things I could do for my 60 Before 60 Project, the Botanical Gardens hit the list and off we went. 

Full disclosure, given that we were towards the end of autumn, this time of year probably wasn’t the best time to visit the outdoor gardens. Many of the displays had been pulled and cleared out for the season. But as I wandered through the different areas of this vast park, I couldn’t help but reflect on life. 

My 60th birthday is right around the corner and as I looked around me, I had to smile. I couldn’t help but realize that I too was entering the autumn of my life.  

Was I also starting to look tired and ready for a long nap? 

But just as that thought crossed my mind, I saw the most beautiful bright red bush in full autumn colours. The bright red stood out and shone brightly on an otherwise overcast day.

It was then quickly followed by another tree that was so unique. I didn’t recognize what type of tree it was but it seemed to embrace both the youth of green and the wisdom of yellow as it slowly was transitioning across it’s branches. 

That’s when I realized that if we were to look at our lives as seasons, each stage holds some unique beauty.

I find autumn to be a time of reflection. An opportunity for me to look back at what has been and look forward to what may lie ahead. But I'm also noticing that the difference is now realizing that the number of times I may be able to do this is not endless.

Like the leaves falling from the trees, I also realized that this is a time of life to let go of worry, anger and resentment so we can ensure that we have room for the things that are really important in our lives. 

As we wandered around the rest of the gardens and into the greenhouses, I admired all the different plant life around me. Even though all the plants were different and had unique qualities, they all seemed to live together in some type of cohesive symphony. I wondered if as people, whether there was any possibility that we could learn from this and figure out how to live together. 

I guess my visit to the Botanical Gardens turned out to be a little more philosophical than I was expecting. But maybe that is what wandering through nature provides.

Probably that... and also being on the cusp of turning 60. 

My 60 Before 60 Life Lesson: Autumn may provide the opportunity for not only reflection but also the chance to just let go 

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