We all have our happy places. Some of them are far, far away, too distant to travel to but once in a lifetime, and afterwards only in our minds. For me, that place is Loh Moo Dee Beach in Thailand, a nearly deserted stretch of white sand and pristinely clear water, only accessible by water or foot.
I digress. An emotionally intelligent person keeps in the pocket a list of places nearer to home that serve as sanctuaries for the senses, the mind, the spirit. As an angst-ridden and often unbearably moody tiener, my local happy place was Groth's Country Gardens, a sprawling herd of greenhouses overflowing with vegetation from every continent and of every color. I'd go to walk, to smell, to touch, and to restore what equilibrium I could in the years many reminisce on as the roughest of their lives.
Going back as an adult, pushing my child in one of the heavy flower flat carts, I was delighted to find that the place hadn't lost any of its magic. The number of greenhouses had only grown. In an age where small businesses often fail to compete with their larger, corporate counterparts, this family-owned business was, well, blossoming. If you find yourself anywhere near Cedarburg, Wisconsin (USA), or the Milwaukee area in general, and you have a penchant for flora, Groth's is the medicine for what ails you.
Find your happy, people. Even when the sky is black and the waters roiling. Especially then. You must, or the aperture will gradually close, the light disappear.
xxx+o,
Jess
