Ten of Pentacles - Why I Love Oat Cakes and Maple Trees

After making some Nova Scotia oatcakes and picking fresh yellow beans from my garden, I called a dear friend today. I told him about how lovely it is to be enjoying my Summer, sitting under the shaded canopy of the magnificent Maple tree in my front yard with a cold drink. He said that sure made him feel good to know. Of course that made me feel good too, to hear him say this.

I really have been soaking up the small numerous pleasures of the season, and thinking about how very grateful I am to have these things to get so much pleasure from.

The card I drew today, the Ten of Pentacles is all about a sense of completion, contentment, security and having a sense of permanence. We see a happy family who is safe and secure, living a full life of contentment.

I've been thinking about these matters a lot lately and upon drawing this card, I realize as time passes, just how very blessed I am. I'm increasingly more grateful for life and all the gifts that have been so freely bestowed upon me.

In another four months it will be three years since I paid off my house. Each year this reality sinks in more, as opposed to when I first saw the end of my mortgage. It was a little surreal to me then, and hadn't begun to really sink in. I had gotten so use to struggling as a single woman on my own, for so very long, over the past 20 plus years. It's taken time to catch up to experiencing the relief of not having to struggle quite as much as I have in the past, and to know that it will continue to get easier for me. That's a really good feeling.

The symbols of happiness represented in the Ten of Pentacles never seemed possible to me, though I longed for such things in my life. They were elusive I thought, but apparently were a concrete reality for others, not for me. It took me a long, long time to figure this all out.

I see now reflecting back, that I was on a path that eventually lead me to the kind of happiness that comes with completion, contentment, security and permanence. But I didn't reach this phase of life easily. It came very hard, and painfully.

Most importantly, it came with the help of the God of my understanding and with the help, love and support of my family and friends. I believe we never find happiness on our own, but it's absolutely essential to be grateful. If not, it's impossible to find the happiness we seek and we miss seeing the forest for the trees.

Speaking of trees I'm going out again to sit under the Maple tree canopy, with a couple of Nova Scotia oatcakes and a cup King Cole tea, and maybe a cat on my lap!

Nova Scotia Oatcakes Yum!

Shaded Maple Tree Canopy