Down the Garden Path

Yesterday morning I went on a morning walk through the rose gardens at the Civic Garden Complex here in London, Ontario.  This complex is on grounds attached to Springbank Park here so as you move through the gardens to the outer edges, you come up to some trails that go back through a wooded area.

As I started along the trail, I came to this section that was a garden/forest area dedicated to the Bereaved Families of Ontario and the children they have lost. 

It’s a lovely secluded little area – it feels like a little retreat area where you can just be quiet and take in the surroundings and think.  My brother lost his daughter when she was only 3 months old and my sister lost her son a week after his 24th birthday.  My first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.  In addition, the rose gardens were a place that were very special to my dad so when I came upon this little area, it was all of this that was going through my head.

For some reason, as I was thinking about these special people whom I had lost and thinking about the children to whom this garden area was dedicated, I came across this rock formation and I felt the need to stop.  The depression in the large rock was filled with water from the recent rainstorm but when I looked at it, it reminded me of a holy water font at church.  Dipping my fingers into the water and blessing myself with it always brings a feeling of serenity to me.  It is the moment where I leave behind my everyday world and the stress that it can carry with it and enter into a time of peace, calm, and fresh starts.

I took a bag with my breakfast with me and sat down here and had myself a picnic.

The view from my breakfast picnic….can you see the river just past the trees?

Next time, I’ll be taking my sketchbook with me.  It’s a lovely peaceful spot don’t you think?