Flower: verb 1. (of a plant) produce flowers; bloom.
2. be in or reach an optimum stage of development; develop fully and richly. (Google dictionary)
Welcome to Day 6 of the A to Z blogging challenge
Today’s letter:
And here is a link to the list of all bloggers who are hopping this challenge.
Being a Flower/Flow-er
What does it mean to flower if you’re not a plant? What does it mean to flow? I already shared my favorite song about the roots going down and the plant growing up in my post on allowing.
To burst out of the seed, to risk the unknown, to trust that there will be nourishment and water and sunshine–that’s the beginning of a plant’s growth. But to get to the flower requires something else:
- A leap of imagination,
- an opening to the universe,
- an allowing of oneself to be seen in all one’s glory, in living color,
- to share one’s perfume,
- to risk being plucked
- and ultimately to form fruit and seed for the next round of life
Of course, not all flowers are showy. Flowers can be:
- quiet,
- sweet,
- I saw (smelled) orchids in Costa Rica that smelled like meat,
- showy
- colorful
- bland
- long-lasting
- short-lived
- pollinated by bees or flies or wind or birds
- early or late bloomers
- edible
- poisonous
But whatever kind of flower you are, this I know–if you are a daisy, your buds will never flower into roses, and vice versa. It’s good to have all kinds of flowers.
Flowers for healing
Flowers in a garden or by the side of a road can offer inspiration and healing. So can a vase of flowers or a potted plant in your house. I love having flowers around, although I don’t buy them often. But my potted plants are often flowering–although they all seem to be on a blooming hiatus since I moved them from Chicago to Loveland. I hope they bloom again soon. But it’s also spring, and the bulbs are just beginning to bloom. My daughter was in China last week and got to see the cherry trees in bloom–that sounds lovely! I don’t know what trees will bloom here in my new home, but I look forward to it. I hope for petal showers in the not too distant future!
But I’ve also used flower essences for healing. Floating the blossoms on water in the sunshine captures the energy of the flowers and these can be used for healing. I don’t use them much anymore, because the brandy or vinegar that preserves them tends to set off autoimmune responses. But for many years, I studied their healing properties and used them with gratitude.
Essential oils are another way to bring more flowers (and other parts of plants) into your life. I can still use most essential oils. I use them in my bath, on my skin (the gentle ones) and diffuse them into the air. Sometimes, I just open a bottle and inhale!
I love edible flowers–last year I had an abundance of nasturtiums and violas in my garden. Some of those blossoms went into my salads. I also used the flowers from my herbs. But you have to be sure you know what you’re picking if you want to eat it!
Flowers for inspiration
I often paint and draw flowers. I look at them in nature and in books. The last A to Z challenge I did was all about flowers. I love their beauty, but I also love their symbolism. They inspire me to live my life fully and richly, to blossom. I don’t know that I have a favorite flower. In the spring, I love lilacs and hyacinths, for their appearance and their lovely scent. I want to flower, to give form to my inner beauty and share it.
What’s your favorite flower? What kind of flower are you? It’s on my to-do list to make a quiz to tell you what kind of flower you are (or I am). One of these days!
In the meantime, thanks for stopping by.
xoxo
