5/3/10

One solitary rose....

I am not an avid gardener, but I do enjoy a few flower pots on the patio with an assortment of color. Last summer, I planted a pink tea rose in a flower pot. It has been through snow, frost, wind and storms these past 6 months. But I have a rose. One single, solitary rose. Even after all the frost and cold. This got me to thinking about optimistic versus pessimistic. Some people would look at the spotted leaves and worry about the bug or mites that are eating the plant. They would wonder why one single rose bloomed and there aren't even buds on any of the other branches. An optimistic person would look at that single solitary rose and think of what a blessing it is that the bush has survived the winter. Too me, that rose represents many things. To me, roses remind me of Mother's Day. A Southern tradition is to wear a red rose to signify a living mother, and a white rose to honor a mother who is no longer living. So my sweet single pink rose is the combination of the two. The red gene represents my wonderful mother whom I adore. She will be 80 this year and acts like she is about 60. The white gene represents my two most precious grandmothers who have both passed away and who made such an impact on my life. The white also represents my wonderful Mother-in-law who has been gone almost 20 years. She was the perfect Mother-in-law and I still miss her dearly. The rose has always been a symbol of greatest love. Given by your significant other, it represents the love and bond that you share. Picked by small little fingers of your child or grandchild represents a love that now words can explain. The look on that precious face as it plucks a flower and gently lifts it to your face and says "I picked this for you." How do you view the roses in your life? Are you optimistic and see the "roses" that God has bestowed on you? Or are an eternal pessimist who is always looking for the thorns?