The Door to Happiness and Peace

Crown Beard on the Prairie

I love the color yellow.  It’s always been my favorite color, but for years I denied it.  I’m not sure why, but I suspect it’s because a lot of people do not like yellow. So I gave in to peer pressure and said my favorite color was blue.  Blue is the opposite of yellow on the color palette so I secretly took pleasure in pretending that blue was my favorite. But always, when I had a chance to choose between two things, one of them being yellow, I always chose it.  For me, yellow is the door to happiness and peace.

I have many yellow things around me.  My front door is a beautiful golden yellow that reminds me of the sunrise.  I have yellow pillows and accents throughout my house. I have a yellow camera!  Whenever I am trying to decide on what to plant in my flower gardens, it always turns out there will be yellow. 

Gray Headed Cone

There are so many yellow things in nature, and I seek them out on local prairies.  The glorious gold finch and singing meadowlark. Gray headed cone flowers swaying in the wind.  Tall compass plants that amaze me by pointing their faces to the north. Late summer is my favorite time to walk the prairies because they are filled with blankets of yellow.

Walking a prairie full of yellow flowers of all sizes and heights, is a pleasure I can’t recommend enough.  If you need to refresh yourself and get clear of the everyday hubbub, you need to get outside and observe nature.  Most of the yellow is gone from the prairies at this time of year.  So I try to capture with my camera moments in nature that give me peace.  Then, when I am not able to get out, I can look through the photographs of the things that gave me great happiness.  It’s medicinal.  And for me, yellow is the best medicine and cure all for everything that ails me.

Cinquefoil

So there is my confession, I love the color yellow.  I will not deny it anymore.  It is said that the color yellow represents clarity of thought, wisdom, orderliness and energy.  It really does give me energy.  But yellow also has a calming effect.  I’ve always said, “There is a reason yellow rhymes with mellow.”

My wish for you is that you will find your “mellow” color and that you will spend some time searching for it in natural surroundings.  Whatever your favorite color is, enjoy and savor it, let it bring you happiness and peace.  But until you have a chance to get out there, please feel free to use some of my photographs here to help you find that extra bit of “stillness and tranquility” you need today.  And try to accept my favorite color, and put a little yellow in your life!

Butter Weed