I blinked... and it was May again, pouring its aliveness over me...
I've been watching the group of yellow and red tulips in the corner of the back yard. And boy, they loooove the sunshine. Every morning when the warm spring sun touches their petals, they bring their bountiful colors to the world, fully open to the light until the evening twilight makes them calm down and relax in peace and fulfillment. I've been watching the white and pink tulips in the pitcher playing with the warmth in the room, making the known-like-the back-of-my-hand space cheer up. Could it really be spring without tulips?
I've been crossing the streets of the city witnessing the awakening of the apple trees, the magnificent display of the magnolia's fragrant blossoms followed by the dancing lilacs in the wind...
And I have been soaking it all up...

Passing through the ordinary dailiness, you think your life is pretty normal, but you can't miss a little spring bulb blooming inside of your body filling it up with unexpected energy. You can't miss the sense of change penetrating the air with hope, promises, and newness. Someone once said that "when the beautiful spring comes and nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also."
I found this to be true.
But! What I also noticed is that we don't talk about the human soul very much anymore. We spend time writing emails, messages with emojis, posts on social media, and long resumes with our achievements and expertise abilities, but sharing with others our true soul is something more of us has forgotten how to do.
In each person, we meet, dwells an inner life; however, we mostly see their outer flower – the blue eyes and the small nose, the title or perhaps political beliefs, the shyness or the brimming confidence. But by peeling the petals, within that flower resides the human soul. One that is timeless, that is Self, that is "a unique event in the history of the universe", that is what a person is and what he or she will always be. Inside every corolla is an ache to be heard.
But how many of us today show a genuine interest in others? How many of us today have the time to listen to a stranger or even a friend trying to communicate something deep, something coming from his heart, something he believes in, or troubles him or fills him with joy? How many of us are listeners with no attachments to views, absolute knowledge and prejudices avoiding assumptions and judgments?
There is so much noise out there every day – iPhones, iPods, podcasts, newsfeed, headlines, headphones – we can barely hear the voice of our own soul much less to find room for another voice. How many of us are comfortable with taking down the walls, opening up and sharing our souls as vulnerable, strong, appalled or joyous as they might be?

I recently found a new favorite quote "I hate small talk", someone unknown wrote. "I wanna talk about atoms, death, aliens, sex, magic, intellect, the meaning of life, faraway galaxies, the lies you've told, your flaws, your favorite scents, your childhood, what keeps you up at night, your insecurity and fears...
I like people with depth, who speak emotion, a twisted mind. I don't want to know "what's up."  
Today, that is me.
I've had my own share of preoccupation with my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge so that I was ignorant or easily irritated by someone trying to fill my space with unneeded information and emotions. Not any longer. I can see the treasure trove of wisdom, experiences and unique perspective that everyone is longing to express in one way or another. I want to talk about the soul. I am ready to listen. I want your soul to touch my soul... while we talk. I know that your Self will extend a hand to my Self to find my true voice by listening to the voice of my soul. I know this would be the most honest way to craft the most authentic version of myself. I am not taking the human connection for granted; in fact, I believe that sharing our soul with others reveals true humanity and beauty in being connected. Words and actions that emerge from our soul can bring love, compassion, and kindness – the only cure for our broken world. We just have to open ourselves the same way the tulips in the spring open to the sun.


"We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. 
Meanwhile within man is the soul of the whole; 
the wise silence; 
the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; 
the eternal One. 
And this deep power in which we exist, 
and whose beatitude is all accessible to us, 
is not only self-sufficing and perfect in every hour, 
but the act of seeing and the thing seen, 
the seer and the spectacle, the subject and the object, 
are one. 
We see the world piece by piece, 
as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; 
but the whole, of which these are the shining parts, 
is the soul." 
                                                                                                                             Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Over-Soul", 1841




I baked this moist, creamy and rich in flavor Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake from a recipe from Southern Living Magazine – a keeper for every chocolate lover.



Sharing with Feathered Nest Friday / Home Sweet Home / Creative Inspirations