In Dorothy's poem "Thoughts on My Sick-bed," we listen to her reminisce about her youth, spent joyfully roaming about. However, in thinking about those times, she seems to be wondering if she'd contributed enough to her friends, or to the world. She was eager to grow up and experience life--she mentions "welcoming...the Celandine" a symbol of aging, and "with busy eyes I pierced the lane/In quest of known and unkown things. She talks about being the "companions of nature", though I get the feeling she didn't fully appreciate that because she was so busy looking for experience. Looking back, though, she seems to have a deeper awareness of Nature, and her place in it. She mentions that her friends bring her fresh flowers from her home, and it stirs within her memories of her youth. Though ill, she is full of joy, because memory has given her "Power unfelt before, controlling weakness, langour, pain." That Nature has made her more consciuos, more aware of her place in the world, through memory, gives her strength to wander in the world (through spirit) and away from her ill body, no longer a "prisoner."
We can take a valuable lesson from her--to enjoy the time that we are in, and to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. being conscious and aware of our place in the world gives us great peace and strength, even in the bad times.