One Hundred Daffodils
Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
"When women share the truth about life and loss . . . hope is restored" in this enlightening and comforting memoir about purpose, personal growth, and nature's ability to heal (Sarah Ban Breathnach).
"There is so much life in the garden. That is why I come. Life that is gentle, self-supporting, and beautiful. Continuous in its cycles, grounded, pure."
When her husband asked for a divorce after twenty-five years of marriage, Rebecca Winn felt untethered physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The security she'd had in her marriage was suddenly replaced by an overwhelming sense of fear, hopelessness, and dread. She felt invisible and alone and was horrified to consider that her deepest longing -- to know and be known by another person -- might never be realized. But from this fear emerged a powerful desire to answer one of life's most profound questions: How can we ever know another person if we do not truly know ourselves?
Facilitated in measures by a love affair with a younger man, dedicated study of Jungian psychology, and a deep dive into global spiritual practices, Winn transformed heartbreak into wholeness through communion with the divine in nature. By turning to her garden for guidance, sanctuary, and inspiration, and dialing closely into the flora and fauna around her, she ultimately discovered what is possible when we are willing look at our unvarnished selves with an open mind -- and see others with an open heart.
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In her intimate and wise memoir, Winn (Whimsical Gardens) examines the painful breakup of her 25-year marriage. During her divorce, Winn realized that her most deeply held longing was to create her own identity and "to be known... and understood." The author, who owns a landscape design company, chronicles her post-divorce life using garden nomenclature such as fallow, germination, emergence, and florescence. Throughout the thematic essays, Winn takes on the voice of a friendly advisor, as she explains the importance for her of being present with one's pain, embracing others' positive views of oneself, dealing with her need for external validation, and appreciating the beauty of the moment. She writes of purging toxic frenemies and learning to eventually appreciate her her ex-husband ("I was grateful that my marriage to Dan was able to end peacefully and develop into a friendship"). Readers enduring a rough patch in life will benefit from Winn's empathy and hard-won wisdom.