I was riding along Route 17, coming back from a trip to Jacksonville NC, noticing the flowers blooming along the highway. There they were poking their pretty heads above the other grasses, swaying in the breeze created by the fast moving cars and trucks. To me it looked like they were dancing…and happy. Made me smile.
Now these were no particular flowers, like the ones planted in those lovely beds along I40. These were random, like dandelion flowers…the kind we sometimes call weeds. Weeds: valueless plants growing in the wild. (Yes, I have been stuck on definitions of words in the last few posts).
I thought, why do we call these flowers weeds? Why do we look at the side of the highway and think…someone needs to mow? And then I thought..how often do we believe what others tell us about life rather than deciding for ourselves? And…how often do we discount the beauty right in front of our eyes?
It matters how you look upon the world. How you look determines what you see. So you’ve got to decide how you want to look, what you are willing to notice…regardless of what others call it. You’ve got to decide that beauty is everywhere, all of the time…and give yourself the chance to see it, even in the most mundane.
The final bit of wisdom from those flowers: They have no idea that some call them weeds. They exist independent of any label or judgment. They grow and sway and put forth as much beauty as they were created to express. Shouldn’t we do the same?
Much love always
Paula
