I’m in a new relationship with my neighbor. I have yet to learn his name or speak to him.

It started last week when I saw two bright pink camellias placed on the little patch of dirt outside my window where I create my morning altars. A wordless, generous gift.

I couldn’t help but laugh with surprise. It was an invitation to play with me and co-create! As I left for my morning walk, I foraged a few purple flowers from the nearby bush and placed them down near the camellias.

To my delight when I returned, there were two pink bundles of flowers placed on either side of the now growing altar. I added a few more leaves to create a frame. I waited, ran errands, and returned to the altar. For the rest of the day, it remained this way.

The next day it rained. With each passing day, I watched the altar shift and change. Leaves blew away. The bright camellias started turning brown. The purple flowers shrank and their vibrancy changed into a muted lavender. Slowly, this altar turned into the color of the ground. It changed and faded away. Impermanent, like everything else.

This morning I woke up to find two bright white matilija poppies placed over the old altar. An offering of hope and newness. An opportunity to dance again with wonder. A reminder once again that we are connected to one another and our natural world. Words are optional.