Lessons to learn from flowers
American artist Georgia O’Keeffe once said, “When you take a bunch of flowers in your hand and actually look at it, it’s your world for the minute.”
Since the beginning of time, people have been intrigued by flowers. These gifts of nature possess the power to make us feel happy, heal, lighten our lives with freshness, and soften our hearts when we most need it. Their enticing colours and scents draw the immediate attention of humans and insects alike.
Flowers inspire us to seek beauty and hope in our lives no matter how difficult things can be. They blossom in all sorts of environments and can survive severe adversity. They poke through cracks in rocks, cling to sides of cliffs, and rise through snow in spring. Some float elegantly atop murky water while others briefly spread across the desert landscape after a rain. Some of the most beautiful flowers bloom unnoticed on lonely and untended land or in the darkness of night.
Some flower facts:
the shy Kadupul flower, blooms once a year, only in the dark of night and then withers away at dawn. It is a transient, fleeting beauty that few have seen
sunflowers follow the sun throughout the day and move their heads from east to west. As many as 2000 tiny florets form the classic sunflower bloom
the moonflower’s heady scent draws nocturnal moths when it opens in the light of the moon
the oleander is the official flower of Hiroshima. It was named so because it was the first thing to bloom after the devastating atomic bomb explosion in 1945
one of the most ancient and meaningful symbols on our planet is the lotus flower which grows in muddy water and rises above impurity with remarkable beauty
One could read endless facts about the mysteries and unique characteristics of flowers. But there is one thing we know. Flowers enrich our lives with colour and beauty and leave us in wonder at their delicacy and charm. It is not surprising that flowers are considered symbols of beauty, grace, purity, serenity, and immortality. They are also our favourite and most universal gift to give to others and to ourselves for all occasions both happy and sad.
Lessons to learn from flowers:
Let your colours shine
Rise above the darkness and open to the light of day
Let your roots support you and hold you fast
Everything blooms in its time
No matter what the adversity, hold your head high and seek the sun
Dance in the wind
And finally, an excerpt from a poem by Rupi Kaur,
bloom beautifully
dangerously
loudly
bloom softly
however you need
just bloom