Dear Red Rose
You remind me more of gratitude than romantic love, post that day
Dear Red Rose,
You are the most beautiful and cherished gift I have ever received!
You came to me through a little girl with the dilapidated dress, torn shoes, and parched lips. You remind me of her smile — fresh, grateful, and so unique.
Way back when I was spending my time in Cubbon Park(Bangalore), reading and capturing the New Year’s essence through my polaroid camera, a little girl came to me. She was hardly 10 years old. She was persuading me to buy a bunch of roses so that she could have her lunch with the money I gave her. When my polaroid camera caught her eye, she asked what it does. When I explained it to her, she told me, “Didi, can I have a photograph, please? I don’t have at least one.” Could I deny her? I then captured her smile and gave her the photo. She was so grateful that she offered me you, free of cost!
I got stuck at the moment, at that time. I was staring at you so deep that I began to realize how damn lucky I was to have the life I am living. A smile crept on my lips, but a cry escaped in my heart. I was vulnerable, maybe for no reason. Or was it helplessness? No idea.
If she can be happy with one tiny photo of hers, How happy should I be with millions of pictures I have in my albums, journals, phone, and on cloud? A million times? A zillion times?
Sometimes we ignore little things that aren’t little at all.
A few minutes after she left, the girl came back dragging her mother and brother. They were poor, and I could see that. She asked me for one more picture with them. When I clicked and gave them what they cherish as their ‘first family photo,’ I knew I had given the best gift of my life. I had tears in my eyes as I saw them admire their photo.
So, dear Red Rose, you remind me of this story and how I should be grateful for what I have, whenever I look at you. Thank you for coming into my life with this story.
For me, you symbolize more than romantic love. You bring a smile to my eyes and heart.
With love,
Vidya
Thank you
for this lovely prompt. I got a chance to reminisce the days I love.You can find the whole story in here!
