It's a beautiful spring day in the hill country. Friday is my day to spend with Jenna (my 12-month old mentor), so we packed up the car and headed to south Austin for some time at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.
In case you've never been there, it is a model of sustainability. Rainwater collection systems are in place. The gardens are gloriously painted with native plants. And of course, now is the season for a major splash of bluebonnets.
There is an information center on site that features her picture. She is wearing a wide brim gardener's hat and is sitting in the midst of a field splashed with red and yellow wildflowers for as far as the eye could see.
Here on this glorious April afternoon, the parking lot runneth over. Hundreds of people were there - learning, buying native plants, and enjoying the natural grandeur of Texas flora and fauna. I was touched to be blessed by the legacy of a kindred "What if Upper."
Although she was never an "official" member of the club, she was one to live from possibilities. What if, instead of mowing the sides of the highway, we plant bluebonnet seeds and let nature dazzle us every year? What if there were a place where people could see the beauty of low impact, drought-resistant landscaping? What if it inspired people to think differently about the environment? What if people came to appreciate the beauty of our earth so much, they would never be able to do anything to harm her?
Jenna and I sat in the shade and played with inchworms and ladybugs. It was a glorious afternoon.And so I send a prayer of thanksgiving to imagination and commitment of those who have walked before us. And for the spirit of Ladybird that lives in us all. What if we all had a legacy to leave? And what if it's all connected?
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