Flowers! Pretty!
Flowers in bloom stop me in my tracks. They demand that I absorb myself in their uncomplicated beauty. Appreciating—really focusing on—these simple natural offerings is to me a worthy practice, a necessary if momentary pause on both good days and bad.
Flowers are everywhere, even in the concrete jungles of cities, where a rising emphasis nowadays brings the color and beauty of flowers to the streets. I remember how impressed (and happy) my eyes have been, to witness the abundant flowerbeds along the main boulevards of Chicago and elsewhere.
I am not an avid gardener, but this personal failing does not stop me from loving flowers. I do not study and plan and plant and nurture gorgeous gardens! I wish I was better at it, but gladly, I can get help from people with better backs than mine to brighten my place with a wonderful array of flowers. The best I ever seem to do is plunk some impatiens and coleus plants near the front door and pop some nasturium seeds along the driveway border.
My best friend always keeps fresh cut flowers in her house. I adopted the habit a while ago, and the value of this extravagance has, well, blossomed over time. It makes me especially happy when I can cut my own hydrangeas, daffodils, lilacs and Russian sage to bring indoors. Flowers in a vase catching the morning light always brighten a day, especially when we are crawling through the dark grey tunnels of Midwestern winters.
Every flower gets my vote. Even dandelions make my heart happy. (And the bees of early spring really need the nectar, so please wait to mow until they are done blooming. Pass it on!) Along the roads and pathways of my daily walks: flowers. In humid swamps and up in the high country: flowers. Scented or not: flowers Every color, every geometric pattern, tall and short, showy and plain: flowers. What a gift each one is.
And so, yes, I am a flower geek. I don’t know all their names, or how they like to grow, but that’s ok. Every day, it matters to take the time to stop and really notice the flowers brightening my world. They have my humble and deep appreciation. They never fail to improve my outlook. They enliven days that are going well, and inevitably boost sagging days. The role of flowers in my world is well-entrenched, and I hope the same is (or can become) true as well for you.
This is an edited version of a blog previously posted in Generally Write on September 22, 2023.
