The first time I read The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett, I was in elementary school. I was a voracious reader, mainly sticking to the likes of The Babysitter’s Club or Sweet Valley High (Sweet Valley Twins I also read, but they were a bit thin). I also dabbled with Nancy Drew (I considered naming my firstborn daughter George), Charlotte’s Web, and Francis Hodgson’s other popular book, A Little Princess.
While this secret Buddha garden in Ko Samui, Thailand didn’t cause a boy in a wheelchair to miraculously run, it was secret and magical nonetheless. The garden is difficult to get to- you can only actually get there via 4×4 truck. And it is off the beaten path. A Samuian fruit farmer, Nim Thongsuk, started to build the garden in 1976 when he was 77 years old.
The book The Secret Garden involved a girl who met new friends and discovered a place where she could bring a dilapidated garden back to life. Mary Lennox and I are not all that different. This trip brought me new friends and new discoveries, and allowed me to ‘regrow’ the garden of life within me. For a long time I felt as though I was ‘behind’ in not getting married and having kids. I am realizing that God and/or the Universe has something different planned for me. I have the means, the time, and the curiosity to explore, travel the world, and grow my own type of garden. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of this gift and freedom!!??
I don’t believe there are mistakes in life- only opportunities. Opportunities that are created for you if you choose to take them. And I have chosen to take mine. Where is your secret garden (and don’t you get all pervy on me) and what opportunities will you take?
Life, Love and Yoga 