Rose on the Gray

A couple of weeks ago I was wandering around the neighborhoods south of BYU campus, when I saw something that intrigued my mind. Along the side of an unattractive, brown apartment complex were rose bushes with stems browned and petals dried from the chilly weather. But, amazingly enough, those stems still had roses. And maybe it was just the lack of all other flowers this time of year, but these roses were beautiful: a deep, crackly red, with a dry yellow on the outside edges.

It surprised me to see such beauty on a snowless winter day; especially in a neighborhood of run-down houses and apartment complexes. True, if I had seen those roses on a glorious summer day, they would have paled in comparison to the beauty of the flowers around them, but on this crisp winter day, they glowed with a beauty all their own.

And isn’t life like that? Sometimes your circumstances make it difficult to *bloom at all, but in those cases, the smallest amount can go a long way. Even having the courage to stand there and say, “Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean I’m not going to bloom” can make a difference. And while your blooms at this time of your life may not be as beautiful as they would be in the summer, they are beautifully inspiring for being there at all.

So, when you feel that you are in the winter of your life, don’t be ashamed that you can’t bloom like your summer-time neighbor. Be proud that you’re strong enough to bloom at all.

*Bloom (verb): Pronunciation: /bluːm/

1. To bear flowers; to be in flower, come into flower; to blossom.

In defiance of the cruel climate, the rose bloomed beautifully all year.

2. To come into full beauty; to be in fresh beauty and vigour; to flourish.

The old woman, despite her gray hair and wrinkles, bloomed with a strength seen only in those who have lived long and hard.

3. To glow with warm colour.

Despite the harsh cold, the rose petals bloomed with color vibrant against their browned stems.

4. To give a bloom to; to colour with a soft warm tint or glow.

The girl’s cheeks bloomed with the seriousness of living.

** Pictures found using Google images. Definitions from OED online.