Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose

I love seeing all the flowers that are in bloom – the pink and red roses, the purple pansies, the yellow daisies and so many more! It’s amazing how many different kinds and colors of flowers there are! Each one has its own charm and together they bring a special kind of gladness to our hearts.

It’s interesting that as we look at flowers, we never say “Red rose, you should be violet. What’s wrong with you?” or “Daffodils, why can’t you be more like tulips?” We never say or even think things like that. We just enjoy the flowers as they are. Of course, if we see flowers that aren’t blossoming and healthy, we may think “They need more water or sunlight or some kind of caring attention.” But we don’t want or expect them to be a different kind of flower than they are.

Just like flowers, we all look different from each other and have different talents and personalities. Some of us are roses, some are tulips, some are daffodils. But we all have the potential to gladden the hearts of others and to bring beauty into the world. It seems like we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves (and our loved ones) with others. “I wish I could be as smart as she is” or “Why doesn’t my husband buy me nice things like her husband does?” We may or may not say these things out loud but too often, we think them. And as we spend our time and energy comparing in this way, we miss out on the exquisite and unique beauty each has to offer.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could accept and appreciate ourselves and each other for who we are – like we do with flowers -- rather than comparing ourselves (or our loved ones) with others.

1 comment:

  1. I love this analogy. Beautifully written. Thank you Gloria.

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