So I was visiting my sister recently and she lives in this beautiful area with views of the Chesapeake Bay. Her garden is lush (and huge–acres and acres of gardens).  We sat in the sunshine and watched the birds flock to the feeders and the trees for shelter and nibbles from the flowering trees and shrubs.

She told me a story of how, when she first moved in, there were no birds to be found.  Her garden did not look like it did the day we lounged on the deck.

Years ago she visited her local nurseryman and told him that she was certain there were birds that lived in the Chesapeake that weren’t finding their way to her home.  What was wrong?

“Aaahhh,” he said.  “It’s the understory you are missing.”  The understory?

Birds need a place to nest, shelter, feed.  The large trees need a story: height, fruit, foliage.  Fleshing out the larger trees became my sister’s mission.  She added hundreds of trees, a dozen or more varieties of hydrangea, every type flowering bulb she could find, seven varieties of Japanese Maple, indigenous trees…you get the idea.

                So I thought; What is my understory?  What is it that nourishes, attracts, yields growth?

                How do I know that my understory is becoming lush and inviting both inner and outer spirituality?

               When am I aware that something is changing?

Going back to my sister’s garden for a moment.  My job filling up the bird feeders at her home is a non stop walk between the house and the garden house where the bird seed is kept in a large metal bin.  Here is a partial listing of the birds in her garden; cardinal, blue bird, blue jay, nuthatch, blue tit, gold finch, purple finch, osprey, night hawk…

The understory happened over a period of 20 years.  My story runs double-didgit  but I am aware that my progress at times seems slow and doesn’t always feel deliberate.  But I know it’s there.  There is a peace, a presence, and an inner life that persists, tugs, and brings joy.

When I turn to your understory, Mary, I think of the richness of your faith.  Something deep within you said yes!  And it wasn’t something that  popped up over night.  It was part of a longer, deeper story.

So that’s where things are today.  Musing on all things understory.