Bloom Where You Are Planted

Bloom where you are planted.

While doing some fall clean-up I discovered a single petunia growing from between the cracks of my deck. It was proudly waving in the breeze as if to say, “Here I am world. Nothing can keep me down.”

It had spent the summer separated from its main vine and growing in unbelievable conditions with no dirt or food to feed its roots. It had braved the scorching hot sun and violent summer thunder storms but yet it had continued to thrive. In fact, it survived and bloomed even when other vines from the same plant had died off in the pot. Vines that had every advantage of the proper amount of sun, shade, soil, and substance to bloom profusely but;  they withered and died.

This flower could stand as a metaphor for so many things. I couldn’t help but find comfort and strength in the fact that we can take a lesson from this flower and take what life gives us. Times are hard right now and being recent retirees in a difficult economy life is even a bit scary. However, when I begin to worry about the future I see this beautiful pink flower waving in the bright sunlight. Various Bible verses also come to mind and I always find strength and inspiration from nature. If God, the almighty creator, can equip it, a lowly flower, with the means to survive difficult conditions, then surely we are also equally equipped with the survival instinct.

I instantly thought of the words “bloom where you are planted” and did a quick internet search for the history of the phrase. Apparently no one knows for sure but I found several references attributing it to Mary Englebreit. I also found several references to various Bible verses and even an Afghan proverb. A quote from Gibran also popped up in which he said “be like a flower and turn your faces to the sun”.

No matter the odds, it is always within our nature to make the best of a difficult situation and continue to live our lives to the fullest. Whatever the origin, one thing is certain, it is a universal thought and the need to bloom where we are planted is instilled in us all. Somehow, the great creator will give us the tools to survive and thrive. My pink petunia told me so.