As Fragile As It Looks
April Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Life”
As the petals of a flower.
It is Spring. The grocery store checkout counter displays bundles of tulips and potted daffodils to be purchased on impulse. The colorful buds are young, tight, strong, and full of promise. Full of life. Like a young child.
I buy a bundle.
The buds represent renewal, growth, and hope. They find a home, in my home.
As the days pass, the buds turn into flowers. They scream “look at me” like teenagers at a dance. The radiance of youth is on full display.
They soon mature. Their carpels expand showing the power within. They no longer scream. Their voice is quiet but confident. Their beauty is regal.
In time, their stems begin to bend, as if the weight of their existence was overwhelming. They droop.
It does not take long for the first petal to fall. The first sign of the inevitable decline. The aged flower will soon stop being regarded as beautiful. It will no longer be worthy of a spot in a proud bouquet. It will become unwanted. Dispensable. Trash.
The life cycle of a flower is a good reminder of how fragile life is. We humans are not permanent. All we can hope for is that our time in the vase of life creates a memory: that we brought beauty to this world — when we could.
So, bloom. Bloom openly. Bloom unselfishly. Bloom relentlessly. Bloom endlessly. Bloom proudly. Just bloom.
