I had a very truncated vacation with my In-Laws at their hill station home - it was supposed to be for a week, but we barely spent 48 hours there and had to return home for an emergency. It was about 10 hours of driving each way!
One of the things I loved about the cool hill station is the variety of flowers that I saw everywhere. This series of photographs is from the same plant and is taken at the same time. It shows different flowers in various stages of their existence in the same plant. The unique purple color and this observation of the different phases got me thinking about life in general.
Our life is like a flower - we are born, we exist, we have a purpose, sometimes we achieve it and then we fade away and other flowers continue on with this repetitive cycle. I have attached the photos at the end of this article and you can appreciate this cycle.
Such is life. We start off as an innocuous-looking bud that is green and innocent but filled with potential. There is a touch of color that leaks out as it starts to bloom. The motivation for this is usually the sun that falls on the bud and prods it to bloom out. The color then changes and becomes prettier as the petals open out. The flower at this stage seems independent and confident. It has a purpose and draws more attention. The design on its petals becomes more intricate and there are more shades that show. As it reveals its inner self, its true beauty seems to be the purpose for which it was created. Is there more? As it blooms out more, bees buzz onto it. A little peek into its inside and it is obvious that there is more to the intricate beauty than the colorful petals. The center of the flower has more to it! It has pollen, androids, stamens, and lots of things that my son tried to teach me about. It's almost like a parallel world in a flower's life - there's fertilization, self-preservation, and pollination that happens as the flower fully blooms and stretches. As it enjoys life to the fullest, more is happening to it than the eye can appreciate. The flower probably knows that its days are numbered and its glory days are just short-lived. It must do what is necessary to keep this cycle going. It ensures that from deep within, more life can be produced and more beauty can be propagated. As programmed cell death starts, it loses its brilliance. It fades and darkens. It droops. It can no longer hold itself steady proudly. Its fragrance changes and it is ignored. It shrivels and dies. Without much ado, the plant simply lets the flower go and it falls gently to the ground where it is stepped on and forgotten. It adds a touch of nourishment to the soil as it decays away - adding one last touch to the cycle of life.
What has it achieved in the 2 days it lived? Joy - through its beauty and life through its inner being. It died quickly and was forgotten, but probably enjoyed the days it lived.
Our lives will fade away. Everything we do will fade away. Let us use this temporary life to add beauty and warmth to those around us. We will be forgotten, but let us add to this cycle of life - not take away from it.
ENJOY THESE PHOTOS!
All photos were shot on my Samsung M31S phone and are unedited. Apologies for a couple of them being slightly out-of-focus.
I'll end this photo series with a special thank you to my sponsors for inspiring me to write again on read after the 'vacation'
This article was written as part of the Writing Prompt by @JonicaBradley titled "Nature" - more details here: https://read.cash/@JonicaBradley/writing-prompt-8-nature-5d41fac6
