Acorn: Seed of the oak, a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus of the beech family, Fagaceae.The word acorn doesn't come from 'oak' and 'corn', as is commonly assumed, but from the Old English 'aecern', meaning berry or fruit. Nordic symbol of life and immortality Not technically a flower but if it grows on a tree, it counts. My surname originates from an area in Sutherland, in the North east of Scotland, where Vikings most definitely landed. So there’s my Nordic connection. Now I think about it, acorns look a bit like a Viking, their wee hat is like a helmet. We all have wee things that make us smile, maybe seeing our favourite colour or hearing a special song; things that remind us the Universe is listening. My mum loves seeing the numbers 444 together, she gets all excited. Mine is acorns. When I find one, it reassures me that I’m on the right path. Well on a path. Or even just looking at the path. I've been feeling even more lost than normal as of late; this morning I found a few tiny acorns in the park and it made me smile. Oak trees don't produce acorns every year, normally about every 2-3 years. On fruiting or 'masting' years, they can produce up to 10,000 acorns! I'd take a few years out too after all that! A few years ago I decided to start my own little jewellery business and acorns started to frequent my daydreams. They wove in and out of my fantasies in various guises but mostly earrings. So upon my return from Ethiopia and Kenya, (where sadly I found no acorns) my hunt began. I had sketches and designs- I was ready. Sure enough, one September afternoon as I walked through the park, I spotted one. I grabbed it and scanned the ground for more. Yahtzzzeeeee. Huge oak tree alert- the ground was strewn with hundreds of them. The forager in me scrabbled around in glee, stuffing as many as I could into my pockets. I would rather have an abundance of acorns than an abundance of gold any day. I had been worried that I was robbing the squirrels of their food but turns out they only want the nut and I only wanted the wee hat (which they kindly leave behind), so we were allies. Acorns became my emblem. I love them. I made a lot of acorn jewellery. If you should ever need some earrings or a bracelet or even a pendant, do let me know. I’ve got your back. I spent last autumn in New Hampshire and Rhode Island; it was a beautiful time to be there and I got to see the fall colours before winter enveloped them. I spent some time on a flower farm with the most wonderful coupIe. I was a mess mentally but ken and Susan were so kind and welcomed me into their lives; I quite honestly didn’t want to leave. Damn visa restrictions. They lived in an old sprawling house with lovely gardens, a pond for kayaking and huge greenhouses full of dahlias and snapdragons. With classical music playing. It was as magical as it sounds. We spent our days clearing out the hoop houses, chopping wood and tucking the gardens in for winter. One of my happiest memories is of planting garlic bulbs under the autumn sun; I didn’t want to be anywhere else on earth. Each morning, as the sun crept through my window, I would bundle up in as many layers as I could and go running. The area was so picturesque and my early adventures took me along wide tree-lined streets, past clapboard houses, through burnt orange forests and up a fair few hills. The air felt so clean and fresh; running is when I feel most alive. The discovery of vast quantities of acorns, pretty much everywhere, forced me to wear with a hat and an extra jacket so I could collect acorns on the way. I would pass a huddle of acorns on the road and tell myself that I had enough, I didn’t need any more only to double back and stuff a few more into my hat. I needed them all, they were all different and unique. I actually smuggled a bulging bag home with me but don’t tell anyone, I have a feeling it may have been illegal. I’m an acorn smuggler. I was once accused of smuggling drugs but that’s another story entirely. I did not do it. There’s a lot more to say about my time on the flower farm, we shall revisit for sure. “From small acorns, mighty oak trees grow”
For me, acorns symbolise potential. Inside one little acorn lies the ingredients for a mighty oak tree and oaks seem the wisest and grandest to me. I find it totally awe inspiring that a wee seed can grow into a tree. How can that happen? Magic is my favourite, I like not knowing and just believing. We all have huge abilities and greatness within us, even if we cant see it and certainly don’t feel. Its there. Who we are and who we are to become lies within; its been there along and it up to us to tap into. I'm still working on accessing my own potential. I'm forever being told that I have so many talents and skills, but I don’t believe it. I hope I will soon. I often wonder if fear of failure and fear of success are the same thing, they seem to merge into one. But I know that when I get through this wee (bloody long and arduous), phase of my life, I will blossom and grow, probably not into a tree, but into myself. I hope to inhabit my space on this earth with grace. Deep rooted and strong, exactly as nature intended. Like a tree. Would you deprive a little acorn of its dream to be a tree? Thought not. So do yourself the same courtesy. It might feel safe up there blowing in the wind, going with the flow but if you stay where you’ve always been, you’ll never know what you could become. Be like an acorn, put your hat on and jump from the safety of the branches. The forrest floor will cushion you and just maybe you’ll become a majestic tree. Isn’t it worth the risk if only for the adventure of the journey? Next time you spot an acorn, see it as a blessing and pick one up (or seven, no ones counting) and keep it in your pocket. Now you have a pocket full of possibilities. Or hang one on a chain round your neck. It looks pretty and will remind you of your greatness. YOU HAVE THE POWER. Be the tree
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LittlebirdJenna. Free spirit, flower enthusiast, seeker of truths. Archives
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