Unique Times

With a little prodding from David, support from Chuck and Kumar, expertise from Goff, and all of my family, I entered a local haiku contest at Filoli. Mind you I am not a Haiku writer nor do I consider myself a poet although poetry, I write.

I saw the contest in an email and then with prodding from who other than my mom (my biggest cheerleader), I thought “why not”. I had zero expectations since I wasn’t even sure I knew what I was doing but that was part of the fun and took any expectation or pressure off. It was really cute because I had my family memebers vote on them and 3 even made up one of their own. Thank you all for the support.

Winter at Filoli is a time of quiet and reflection in the Garden. Submit a haiku inspired by Filoli’s winter garden to our Haiku Poetry Competition for your chance to win a Household Plus Membership and a beautiful gift basket of Filoli approved goodies. Please submit 3 haikus.

“short and dense hedgesfaded red, perfectly trimmedrun around the path” –Eli Schlanger, under 18 winner from Filoli’s 2020 Haiku Competition

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My Enteries:

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stroll the gifts of peace 
hearts heal strolling sacred grounds 
blooms burst hope and Joy 

respite found strolling 
pristine grounds open up hearts 
blooms burst joy and peace 

amid troubled time
gifts of peace on winter grounds
flowers burst, joy found

Enjoy moments of peace and beauty around the winter Garden while you listen to haikus from our finalists. Do you have a favorite? A winner is yet to be selected! Join our Instagram Live on the 14th to hear the announcement. Could one be me? Doubtful but now I thought “well, why not”.

Did you hear mine? Neither did I 🤣 because I didn’t win. I noticed that it wasn’t the traditional Haiku that I tried to follow in the
5, 7, 5 syllable format that I expected and this is a very formal garden. I emailed wondering about the guidelines and she said they decided to break suit from their usual traditional format. It’s ironic because I write much more free flowing as you might know if you read my work. The funny part that caught me by surprise was that I was a little bit disappointed. I knew this was a long shot and I didn’t think twice about it until I didn’t come up even placing.

I remembered back to all of the things I have ever entered and I only did so when I was so polished and every move was rehearsed in my mind and body until I knew I would win. It’s as though I dreampt it into fruition and there was no chance for failure whether it was cheerleading, pom pom girl, Miss Daly City, a job, being a dancer on broadway etc.

I did have one time I decided I didn’t want to win when I tried out for Miss San Mateo, and I didn’t win. I really did all of this for my mother and I’d had enough. My mother’s words were “it was rigged”. 🤣 Oh for a mothers love of her child. My mom asked if I won this contest and I said I did not and she said and I quote:

“Well that sucks probably the winners are long time members with clout. I thought your entry was worthy of winning” 😍

Oh for a mother’s love! Any disappointment I felt left because I won in my mothers eyes. Naive as she was, it is the heart of a mother that loves so deep and see’s her children in all of her glory (or should) and all of their disappointment, no matter what the world sees, loves you anyway and that is unconditional, skewed love.

I realized I had never let myself do anything without perfecting it, and it is ok just to try, without the pressure of having to win. That was the gift of entering this contest. I didn’t win and it was ok. The blessing of a mother’s love no matter if you win or loose, is a gift. In her eyes, I am always a winner and if I do one thing right in this world, if I can pass that down to my kids and the people I love, then I am a winner in the true sense of the word. “May all of your losses be wins of your heart”.

_{Copyright © Cindy Georgakas
All Rights Reserved} 

Thank you once again to all of you who helped me in one way or another, reading and being a constant source of support in my life! I will be doing a Fri-Yay Funday here sometime in the near future and sharing it with you because it has so much rich history and is a beautiful place to write.

Blessings,

❤️

Cindy

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