“To sparkle; splendor.” That is the Greek meaning of the name Amaryllis who was a character in a poem by Virgil. To the Victorians an Amaryllis was associated with determination and strength for their height.

I was so delighted to see these beauties over the weekend when I went to go meet one of my farmers who drives in from Michigan once a month during winter to sell his food. Eddy, my farmer, is beyond strong and most determined in seeing farming done in the best way he knows how. He was raised by his grandmother, is as tough as nails, and learned how to be a farmer from her and all of his other German relatives. He is one of the most passionate farmers I am honored to know and to be able to support.

Eddy has shared with me many of his hard times over his farming life he has had to “get through.” One of the recent ones was last Spring 2019. Because of climate change causing so many warm-ups and freezes during that Winter, all of his peach & plum tree groves were completely devasted because the bark from the ground and up about 2ft split right open, leaving them fair game for pests to invade and destroy the trees.

Eddy lost these most financially valuable prized crops which were non-traditional breeds of peaches and plums. He is known in our farmers market as having “THE BEST” peaches and plums because he offers varieties that none of the other farmers offer. He also chose not to buy & bring in to sell peaches or plums from out-of-state farmers like all of the others did at the market. He has strong values and does not ever compromise them. He did not want to tarnish his reputation should they turn out tasting horrible. It was a one-time exception to the market rule last Summer due to so many farmers losing their crops to climate change.

Why am I talking about Amaryllis’s and Eddy, my farmer? Determination, strength and to sparkle. What we are going through right now is not something new per se. Our country and the world have experienced crisis of this kind and many others in our past. This one is ours. We have been given the gift of free will and choice. How we choose to show up in every moment is ours to make.

Are there moments that are really, fucking unbearable right now? Yes. I have experienced them. Are there moments of joy and beauty that I have witnessed? Yes, every day. Is this a big sign to all of us that we need to stop and take some moments to find out what really makes our heart sparkle? Yes, though that will require you to get still, quiet and look inward at yourself which may get really uncomfortable as it’s not something that many like to do.

Will you find your determination and strength to keep moving forward through this pain, uncertainty and change? Yes, I am quite confident that we all will, myself very much included.

Easy? No. Worth it. Yes. To stand with pride, to be strong, to stay in the arena (as Brene Brown says), and to share my Sparkle and Splendor with all those who I cross paths with on my journey is very much worth all the pain even though at this moment I am petrified. Come learn with me now & moving forward.

Be Well.