Teri Leigh Teed
  • About
  • Art
    • Healing Spirit Art
    • Photography
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Honors
  • News
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Blog

Art Writing Music

The English Laurel’s Gift

July 9, 2020 1 Comment

Every day at my home I look outside my big picture window that faces East and overlooks the Plott Balsam mountain range, and gaze upon the very large English Laurel shrub that holds court several feet away.  This magnificent evergreen is the gathering place for many birds and animals here in the Nantahala Forest.  Cardinals, Towhees, Black-capped Chickadees, Doves, Wrens, Sparrows, Hummingbirds, Brown Thrashers, rabbits, squirrels, the occasional chipmunk, all seek shelter from time to time here, and search for food, too.  The bird feeder hangs from the eaves, next to this honored specimen of Nature, and attracts a growing number of feathered friends.

In the spring, this lovely bush presents the most delightful gift of sweet smelling, cream-colored flowers, attracting bees to propagate more flowers and plants.  A very tiny fairy house made from clay and handcrafted by a local potter, complete with open windows and a chimney, resides underneath.  Sometimes after the sun goes down, tiny blue colored fairy lights magically appear under this shrub and frolic around in front of my window.

This English Laurel reminds me of the humans who have crowned themselves and others with laurel leaves: emperors, kings and queens, Olympians.  And so, each time I gaze at this magnificent English Laurel, I remember that we are all victors.  Our Creator intended for each and every one of us to live well and prosper, and to experience the joys of life.  To see this wonderful shrub every day is a friendly reminder from the Heavens that we are all royalty: we are blessed and highly favored and wearing our crowns.

What is the gift of this English Laurel, you ask? For me, this lovely creation of God is a soothing balm and reminds me that we all have free will to choose each day what we create by our thoughts. Yes, there will be different thoughts by everyone, on a wide range of subjects and topics.  The ultimate reality is our own choice to create, and to bloom where we are planted. 

For me, I choose to look out my window and thank this English Laurel bush, these mountains and forests, and all God’s beautiful creatures for reminding me how sacred and precious our lives are, and to create peace, love and joy from within me to share with the world.

Featured image, “Green and White” fine art photograph by Teri Leigh Teed

“We were meant to be healers, storytellers, prophets, poets, singers and dancers.
Together we will heal ourselves, each other and the world.”

  ~ Lars Muhl, teacher, author and musician

 

 

Be part of the community of love, peace, goodwill. Share #HealingSpiritArt with the world.

Healing Spirit Art by Teri Leigh Teed

Positive . Inspirational . Life-Affirming

Fine Art Photography * Stories * Poetry * Songs

Since 2005

Tags: English Laurel, gift, joy, Love, peace, sacred

Comments

  1. Rusty Rabon says

    July 17, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    Thank you for these encouraging and life-affirming words, especially your last sentence: “I choose to look out my window and thank this English Laurel bush, these mountains and forests, and all God’s beautiful creatures for reminding me how sacred and precious our lives are, and to create peace, love and joy from within me to share with the world.” That is an attitude – a choice – that I want to make more often – to be observant of the things around me from a heart of gratitude.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • The Art of Freedom
  • Message from the Light
  • The Harvest of Peace

Clippings from my portfolio

  • Early-Fall-Nantahala-Forest-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed
  • Clouds-Early-November-Morning-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed-copy
  • Brighton Birds by Teri Leigh Teed
  • slide2
  • Blue-Ridge-Parkway-Foggy-Christmas-Day-Slide
  • Landscapes-Haybales-in-Fields-Fairfield-County-SC-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed-copy-2
  • Water-Spirit-of-the-Lake-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed-copy (1)
  • Flowers-Green-and-White-Blossoms-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed-copy
  • slide3
  • Flowers-Pink-Rhodendrons-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed-copy
  • Foggy-Autumn-Morning-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed
  • slide1
  • slide4
  • France-Gateway-Chenonceau-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed-copu
  • Art
  • Blue-Ridge-Parkway-Fog-over-Waterrock-Knob-Christmas-Day-by-Teri-Leigh-Teed

VIEW MORE

Her photography invoked memories when I was a child, laying down on the grass and gazing at the sky while the clouds floated by … Teri somehow successfully expresses these elements of nature we are so ignorant to.

I found your site to be inspiring as you are one whose blessings are abundant. It is when we share our light and life with others that we emerge more empowered.

I’m so impressed with your writing – it has a beautiful sense of style, like YOU! The photographs you included perfectly illustrate the topic and make the piece quite inspiring. Congratulations!!

© Teri Leigh Teed Healing Spirit Art - All Rights Reserved.

No portion of this site can be reprinted without express written permission.