2 minute read
FROM THE EDITOR
From Mary Taylor
“And the day came when the risk to remain in a tight bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
-Anaïs Nin
Let’s Bloom.
Spring is a time of rejuvenation and rebirth. In the last few weeks as I’ve walked around my neighborhood, I’ve been marveling at the trees that are in full bloom and the variety of flowers peeking up from the ground, sharing their unique color, beauty, and aroma with the world.
As the spring days become longer, warmer, and sunnier, I’ve found myself contemplating how the flowers sharing their unique gifts of beauty and scent are similar to us recognizing and embracing the gifts that are within each one of us, and choosing to share them with the world.
There’s a philosophical question that asks: “If a tree falls in the woods and there’s no one to hear it, does it still make a sound?” Similarly, if a flower blooms in the middle of a meadow and no one is around to enjoy it, is it still beautiful? And does it bloom for others or because that’s what it knows to do?
Just like the gift of the flower’s beauty, is our purpose in life to discover and express our unique gifts for ourselves, or for others? I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a little bit of both.
The artist Pablo Picasso once said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
When we have the courage to blossom in our own way for ourselves, the diversity of our collective blossoming makes the outcome even more beautiful. As the famous 19th century French nun St. Thérèse of Lisieux said, “If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.”
Each of our blooms (the collection of unique gifts we bring to the world) is pretty and special on its own. But something magical happens when we seek out and join others to create a beautiful bouquet.
With all of this as our inspiration, we chose BLOOM as our theme for spring this year, and we’re exploring the concept in some fresh and unconventional ways. You’ll find features on how to beautifully and creatively preserve blooms from a bouquet, how to use various scents to feel happier or calmer, and learn how to create a backyard sanctuary filled with blooms that birds will love and important pollinators like bees will thrive in.
My hope for you this spring is that you’ll not only be inspired to discover what makes you bloom, but also to seek out the blooms in others, and join together to create something beautiful.
Happy Spring!
