The whole saga starts on a routine run to my favorite local thrift shop on “Senior Citizen Discount Day”. Haphazardly displayed behind leftover Christmas ornaments, I spot this totally funky vase and buy it on the spot
I make a promise to myself to fill it with deep red blood-colored roses. I intuitively know it will become the focal point of my kitchen. And it does.
My first quest: Finding the perfect place to buy roses.
I visit flower shops (a dying breed), garden shops and nurseries.
On a random Thursday morning, I hit upon a new shipment of roses being delivered to a local specialty grocery store – all with buds already formed at the tips of the stems, but buds still tightly closed.
I pay for my purchase – my body tingling with anticipation at the thought of watching my newly acquired roses bloom.
My second quest: looking up “Caring for Roses”. I am determined not to miss a moment of their short-lived life cycle. Here’s what I find:
- Fill a clean vase with lukewarm water.
- Mix in the flower food packet.
- Remove leaves that are below the water line.
- Cut 1 to 2 inches off the bottom of the stems, at a diagonal.
- Keep roses away from direct sunlight and extreme temps.
- Water daily – those buggers are thirsty!
- If water gets too funky, change the water, rinse off the stems and re-cut.
My third and last quest: reminding myself to admire the roses whenever I enter my kitchen.
By Monday the roses have reached their glory.
Within days, however, the inevitable rears its presence:
- Each rose – at its own individual pace – begins to droop and wilt – losing some of its brilliance.
- The leaves begin to shrivel and drop – indicating waning energy.
- The petals darken around the edges – some more pronounced than others.
- The stems bend precariously at different degrees and angles
And that is when I am unduly surprised by what I am witnessing.
- I thought I’d be sad
- I thought I’d lament my roses’ descent from full glory
- I thought my attention would soon dance elsewhere
On the contrary: I am mesmerized by my roses’ metamorphosis from one stage of growth to the next:
- their shedding of their striking upright beauty
- their lack of symmetry
- their lack of uniformity in their demise
And I realize
Watching my roses day after day
From buds
To blooms
To not-so-bloomy
I am witnessing a metaphor on my very own natural winding down process
- from Growth
- to Full Blown Wonder and Strength
- to Wisdom, Reflection and Gratitude.
And like my roses,
I’m still here – wanting to be noticed and valued too – no matter what stage of bloom.
We all deserve that.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
