Flowers fascinate me. They are beautiful at every stage of their life. What seems fragile is remarkably strong. It’s amazing how blossoms know when to emerge and when to retreat. Flowers patiently sit below the surface waiting for the right time to appear. As they wait they gather their strength to push through the tough soil. Once a flower breaks through they stand tall and proud, and slowly unfurl their beauty. Should they get knocked down they do their best to right themselves.
While in blossom, each variety of flower displays its own unique beauty, through its color, shape, and fragrance. Their beauty attracts birds, bees, butterflies and other insects, whom they generously offer their pollen and nectar. Sharing what is part of themselves helps sustain other creatures. Flowers don’t seem boastful, instead they appear to be polite, falling to the background, and letting others take the stage when it’s their turn to shine. Each species of flower is perfectly designed, from petals, to stems, to leaves. When a flower blossom is spent it drops its petals and uses the remainder of its energy to prepare for the wind to scatter its seeds.
I want to live like a flower and be beautiful at every stage of my life. I want to be strong, stand tall, and be able to pick myself up when I get knocked down. The gifts I have I want to share generously, in hopes that they make a positive difference to someone else. May I have the grace to know when it’s my turn to shine and when to celebrate others. When it’s my time to go, may I have the insight to turn inwards, and prepare to share the last bits of myself with others. Flowers are beautiful at every stage of their life.
