The Rose

The Rose, a beautiful flower, comes in all shapes and sizes. Some can climb, others can stand tall, while others bush out. Each rose individual. They may look the same but on detailed inspection, like identical twins, there are differences.

I was sent a rose from my mother’s garden the other day. I could see that once it bloomed it was going to be a golden orange colour. I placed it in water in a stem vase. I have watched it carefully as the days have gone by. The sentiment behind was love. As each day passed by I have seen it change. Starting off being a tight bud that really wasn’t much to look at. It’s thorns on the stem were very apparent and the bud tense almost with anger. Each day it let go a little, until after a few days the most beautiful bloom appeared. Vibrant and bright with the most delicate of fragrances. It stood tall in all its glory adding a little piece of love to my living. Once bloomed the thorns, you could not see because of the sheer beauty of a single rose. The Rose did this as that is what nature intended it to do.

Compare, for just one minute a person to a rose… Standing tall and tense, covered in a tight skin and only thorns to show. This person weighed down with problems of day to day living, not a minute to spare. Dealing with this and then dealing with that. Watching the clock for deadlines. Conversations to have, conversations had, all those thorns visible to their fellow man. Gradually time moves on and it’s holiday time. The outer layer of tension releases itself, and slowly, everyday that single individual blooms. Blooms a ray of colour, oh so relaxed and in its own glory. Beauty sheer beauty announces itself to the world. The thorns invisible as the tension eases. Beauty beyond words.

Next time the day is hard, the deadlines are heavy, pressures are building and that outer layer is tight and prickly, think of a rose, talk to someone near, share your fears and frustrations, loosen up your outer layer, and bloom. Bloom like the rose. Life is meant to be beautiful, bright and glowing, not stuck in a tight bud. Just blossom as that is what life is all about.