A Fragrant Greeting

I walked through the back garden gate and found the weathered wooden bench where small pots of kitchen herbs were waking up in the morning sun. A sprig of sweet rosemary was leaning heavily against a ceramic saucer, its green tip dusted with a little dry potting soil. I knelt beside the weathered wood, softly cupping the fragrant stem with both plush hands to lift it upright toward the warm light. As I brushed the crumbs of earth from its leaves, a clean, refreshing scent filled the air, like an unspoken welcome to everyone sharing this quiet morning.