Beyond the blooming big leaf magnolias, along a cliff’s edge in search of the waterfalls I could hear in the distance, it was time to stop and rest. While catching my breath under an overhanging rock shelter, this little wildflower said, “Hey there.” My first encounter with a jack-in-the-pulpit, I sat among his congregation of wildflowers, mostly tiny king of the meadow. We listened to his sermon as it carried in the wind. After his benediction, my head and heart agreed how grateful I am to be here.

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