Most of the Lilies in our garden have a leaning tendency, which is probably caused by the weight of the flowers! I noticed that the leaning position is in the direction of the first flowers that opened in the stem. The stem is cylindrical with a central hollow. It is resilient even during strong wind. I guess from my observations in our garden, that the weight of flowers influence the leaning and its direction.
The flowers are the offering of the plant. The plant leans in the direction the flowers lead. The plant does not fall even when the leaning is downward.
The human virtue and goodness make us lean to do good and favour others who need strength to stand.
I have been made to think about survival presence and soulful presence.
The Survival presence carries a tone and mood of struggling and enduring and yet not finding the peaceful ambience to live in pursuit of a purpose. Such people complain, find fault, feel self guilty and self pity, and are heavy of heart. They receive the favour and kindness of others, but they get subsumed in the bereaving substrate of their being.
As against is the Soulful presence, a way a person lives with a fulfilled attitude relationally and gratefully. The needs and disappointments in life become a challenge and opportunity to travel beyond, knowing that the light at the end of tunnel is a reality. The weight of the burdens of living is felt lightly as life is lived in the plane of hope, purpose and altruism.
I noticed that those who get into the habit of survival presence are often loners choosing to be lonely. Whereas, those who have the experience of soulful presence are those who find strength from within and from those who lean towards them.
This symbol of leaning presence I noticed in the Lily plants is not an incidental happening. The weight of the flowers makes the stem to lean. It is a symbol of how the flowers long to be an offering to others. The leaning flowers announce a call to live leaning towards others who need enablement or sheltering!
Th sight of the leaning Lilies made me ponder upon - how much I am leaning towards others who need strength and support?
M.C.Mathew(text and presence)
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