10/04/2026
"Nature has always been a source of joy and comfort to me, and especially now. Here in San Diego a tree called an ornamental pear tree, blooms in February. It has beautiful white blossoms similar to apple blossoms. I was enjoying their return this year especially due to our more restricted life at this time. I live in building # 1 of an apartment complex. Residents were notified that tree trimming would take place by building # 2. There are trees planted between the two buildings. One day I went outside and found that those trees were being trimmed. I began to work myself up. I had a rise in feelings and lowered feelings, loss of spontaneity. My thoughts were, “Oh no, they shouldn’t be doing this now. It’s the peak of the blooming season. I look forward to this. What’s the matter with them?” I expressed my temperamental reaction to someone, with no response.
Within a short time, I started to spot. My angry temper was directed at the workers and the person who placed the order. Their timing was bad and this should have been postponed. If the outer environment was wrong, that would make me right. The workers weren’t wrong they were just following job instructions. I wasn’t wrong for the initial response. I wasn’t wrong to have this disappointment. I took the total view, versus the partial view. These trees weren’t as pretty, but there were plenty more in the community to see and enjoy. It was phasic, not basic. I laughed at myself and decided not to take myself so seriously. Before R.I., I wouldn’t have found any humor and would have taken the whole it all more seriously.
Nancy C."
