Multiplicity of Forms

Variety

“The notion of the infinite variety of detail and the multiplicity of forms is a pleasing one; in complexity are the fringes of beauty and in variety are generosity and exuberance.”
Annie Dillard

Racks of plants, stacked one upon the other, confronted me. The mints alone were dizzying in their variety—spearmint, peppermint, lemon balm, Mojito mint, julep mint, catnip, curly mint. I selected two spearmint plants and moved on the the basil and thyme. Lemon, Greek, pineapple, sweet, purple, opal—oh, my goodness, too many choices. If variety is the spice of life, then we've hit the jackpot.

Have you ever contemplated just how varied and complex any little plot of natural ground truly is? Not the manicured, chemically fertilized and pesticide laced lawns of middle America, but anywhere we've missed—anywhere left to grow on its own. An explosion of life happens there. This year, an exceptional blast of green energy has seized the deep South. I've been gratified to see fewer manicured lawns, and more clover and wildflower growth. Education about the extinction of pollinators is beginning to sink in. Unfortunately, it may be too late—I've seen very few bees.

Contemplating the variety and complexity of creation always beings me back to the human population. We are many, varied, multicolored, multi-cultured; we speak different languages, hold different beliefs, garb ourselves differently, feed ourselves differently, and yet, we are one species. Like the herbs at the flower market, there are many varieties of human beings. Appreciating this, we find joy. Denying it is like pouring pesticides on our yards—it's toxic. “In complexity are the fringes of beauty, and in variety are generosity and exuberance.”

In the Spirit,
Jane