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!
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AuthorI have a lot to say about a lot of things. Archives
May 2023
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