It’s the second right after the draw bridge. When you get to where the Royal Poinciana tree covers the road, that’s where you’ll find me.

I first saw Royal Poinciana trees in Key West. With its delicate leaves and distinctive seed pods, it left an impression not soon forgotten.

The Royal Poinciana tree in my front yard.

One night while walking home from a night of adventures on Duval Street, I picked up a fallen seed pod. Twelve inches in length, I carried it home, not only to the B&B where I was staying but to my home in New England as well.

    Seed pods in a vase in South Florida, and with Pug.

In all I picked up three pods and displayed them in a huge vase in the Palm Room, a 14 by 14 foot tropical sanctuary in the Victorian farmhouse where I used to live. They became my talisman of sorts to keep me focused on where I wanted my life to go. They were the “X” in the treasure map of the life-path I would soon take.

A native of Madagascar, the Royal Poinciana grows about 5 feet a year and is tolerant of many soil conditions. The leaves are delicate, lacy, and fern like in appearance and the entire tree is shaped like an umbrella. Perhaps the best part is its flamboyant show of orange flowers which bloom for several weeks in the spring and summer.

It was July when I moved here to South Florida. Imagine my delight driving down my new street that very first time. Maneuvering sixteen feet of truck with another 16 feet of car trailer behind me had become second nature during the three day trip, but I was bone tired from the 1,500 mile journey. When I made the turn, I saw the tree - reaching out across the road and alive with orange flowers. A whispered prayer…“Please, God, let that be where my new home is. Let me drive up to that everyday.” And it was.

These days I don’t collect the seed pods anymore (other than to share them with you) but I do acknowledge and give thanks every time I turn down my street and see that tree. And I think how funny life is sometimes. The dream I held in my heart for all those years is now manifested. It doesn’t get much better than this, does it?

I invite you to begin collecting the talisman of your life-path. If you can’t find them in person, Google image them until you can put your hands on them for real. Keep them sacred for these are the things that prompt our hearts to keep our dreams alive.

<*(((><
Copyright 2009 Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach
Photo credit: Diana Taylor, Royal Poinciana tree & the PugMan

For copy & paste:
http://pugsnewsfromthebeach.com/2009/01/30/palm-fronds-as-icons-for-dreams-come-true.aspx (The Palm Room explained.)
http://www.pugatthebeach.com/beachglass.htm (My dream, which is now my reality. Read about it here and get inspired.)
http://www.pugatthebeach.com/aboutpug.htm (So, who, exactly, is Pug? Find out here.)