At first blush, a lovely arrangement of cut flowers is lush and beautiful. In our longing to surround ourselves with the beauty of nature, we bring them inside to where we are. But cut from their roots, denied the sun’s kisses, and separated from their beds of nourishing soil is not how flowers are meant to spend their glory days.  Like a hospice for plants, we plop them in vases of water, perhaps with a bit of sugar to sweeten their fading moments. And they, without even a thought of retribution, bless us with their sweet scents and stunning beauty, giving all until they can give no more, perchance to catch a glance from us, when we happen to think about noticing.

When I think about cut flowers, I think about life itself.  How quickly we humans wilt and fade when not living in the truth of our own roots.  When we try to thrive as someone we are not, hoping that others will give us a glance.  We give it our all, blushing and blooming, but it is a pale second best attempt to fit in and a very far cry from our truest destiny.

I much prefer to visit flowers where they thrive. To catch their fragrant aroma on the tip of a breeze rather than shoving my nose into their fragile petals to get a whiff. To lie with them in shade or under the warm rays of the sun. To delight in their symbiotic relationship with the bees, birds and butterflies, each playing their own roles in the cycle of life. And I realize…

That we too, when we allow ourselves to thrive where we are rooted, to be who we are meant to be, will draw those who matter most to where we are. We need not strive to fit in. We will be noticed if we are true to our truest nature, and we will find our place with those who love and accept us for who we are!

A moment of silence then for my sad vase of cut flowers. For a life too short, but a valuable lesson gained.  For teaching me that my vain attempts to be who I am not, merely causes me to live a life less than. Dear cut flowers…even your faded, falling blooms have touched my heart and changed me. Namaste’.