I tried to write this last week, and somehow I forgot to do so before I got all drugged up to have my wisdom teeth out. Oh well, I'm back at it. I thought maybe this thought would pass, but I just have to get it out there.
My last post was about the flower that pushed through the bushes and made the landscaping so much more enjoyable, even if it was out of place. Well let me tell you! I posted that on Thursday. Friday morning the flower was gone. Gone. No more petals. The center of the flower remained. The rest... The other flowers of the same kind were still growing in the neighborhood. White ones. Purple ones. They greeted me happily through fences in other backyards. But my fierce friend? Gone too soon. I couldn't help but think of all the journalists that are silenced by similar happenings. It was almost time for the flower to go away. Almost. If it had the company of more blossoms. If it was part of a group, maybe it would have survived like the others. But it was just alone. Destroyed by its beauty and singularity. And doesn't that happen to the voices that speak up against the powers that surround them? I know a bit of a horticulture stretch. But I love analogies. How often do are people silenced, or even silence themselves, because if they speak of the singularity and beauty, it will be taken away? I do not have an exact answer for this. I look to history. Think about how many times we heard of governments that wouldn't allow for freedom of speech. Even in modern times, we see this happening. We see parties controlling what is being said to the public. We know it happens. I simply wonder, what is the cost? In America, the cost is more of inconveniences and struggling to get others to see truth. In other countries, it is literally people's lives. If a man speaks out, will they kill him? Maybe. It would be more likely that they slowly make is life unbearable. Kids kicked out of school. Losing a much needed job. Family persecuted. Life taken bit by bit. I know it is incomparable, but when I saw the flower gone, I thought, "Did I do that? Did I kill that flower by bringing it to the attention of the world?" I didn't. I know the owner didn't read my blog and go pick the petals off. No, that wasn't the case. But what if it did? What if my writings held such power that pieces of life could be taken away. That is never my intention. My hope, as always, is to encourage, challenge, and help us all grow in this crazy life we have. I hope that no one would use my words in a way to destroy, but we know there are powers in this world that are always against us. When the time comes, are we ready to speak? Even if it means something else might suffer? Are we willing to discuss topics that maybe aren't part of the crowd? We are given one shot at life. We are given one chance to make an impact. We are given thought and voice. What are we using them for?
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I take my dog for a walk every morning. 95% of the time, we walk the same 1.5 mile route through the neighborhood. The last two weeks I was met with a bit of a surprise as I walked our route down one particular street. This street has row houses, very narrow. There is no front yard, just a few feet and a fence. Most homes have shrubs in that space, while a handful have some rocks or mulch and small flowers in their landscaping.
One house on this row is the typical style with these large bushes, well manicured, next to the fence. I've had these bushes in my front flower beds until I asked my husband to get rid of them. I just don't like them. Not my style. But they are everywhere in our neighborhood. Hearty. Strong. And they grow back after being pulled for years to come. For some reason, this one house, in the midst of the bushes has a single blossom of a Fuji Balloon flower. Just one. Bright purple against the green and dark red of the bush. Personally, I adore these flowers. I even bought the bulbs to plant some in our flower beds. We grew a few small ones. They all died. Haven't seen any since. A neighbor two houses down has vines of them every year without doing a thing. They were there before the family moved in, and they'll be there when they leave. Me? Can't get a good group to grow. Oh well. Then here is this house. One single beautiful bloom. It stands out against the backdrop of bushes as it snakes along the fence. It just plain doesn't fit in. And yet, it's my favorite part of their landscaping. Sometimes that's how life is. That is how people are. We drudge on through our daily lives. On and on. Over and over. A wall of bushes at the grocery store. And yet, there always seems to be that one that stands out. There is one that doesn't fit in. I know a lot of people look to what is different and think it needs to go. It doesn't match. Get rid of it. Uniformity and consistency. But how beautiful is that difference? Are you the outside bloom? Are you bringing a new look to a row of bushes? Do you stand out? Maybe that's ok. Maybe it's needed. Maybe you break up the monotony to provide a smile on someone's face as they walk by. Different does not have to mean wrong or bad. You may feel singled out. That's ok. Bloom big and bright for all to see. Show us who you are! |
AuthorI have a lot to say about a lot of things. Archives
May 2023
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