Today is my Mom’s birthday and to celebrate I spent several hours at Bloedel Reserve, a gorgeous botanical garden located on Bainbridge Island. The vision of the reserve is to provide refreshment and tranquility in the presence of natural beauty. I allowed myself the time to slow down to really see the natural beauty that surrounded me as I walked through the gardens – to see and appreciate the recently unfurled fronds on the ferns, the fresh green leaves on the trees, the spring bulbs emerging from the soil, and the bright pops of color in the flowers. This visit also gave me time to spend in prayer and to…