Meeting the Rose

There is a softness and a sense of grace that radiates from the petals of the lovely wild rose bloom. Its presence invites the eye to ponder and behold the beauty that is both simple and imponderable at the same time. In the process, the wild rose bloom touches the heart and moves the soul. It has its own way of easing the attachments to grief and loss in a way that is not abrupt, but uplifting and inspiring of the thoughts of love and gratitude for all that has been and continues to live in the timelessness of existence. Yet, mindlessly grabbing its stem will quickly reveal the lessons that had to be passed on the way to the bloom’s healing transformative beauty. The wild rose wears spiny sharp thorns on the surface of its stems. They are not a formation of the stem, but of the skin serving as a protection and a way to keep at bay things once released that no longer support its truth, its goodness, and its beauty. If you try to peel off the skin around her stem, you will discover that the thorns can easily be peeled off, too. When the time comes, with mindful care and attention, the rose bloom can be received safely and she will offer it freely. Yet, mindlessly brushing against it without care and gratitude and without a pause of presence, can leave one with a thorn which will insist on the pause - but that pause will be filled with hurt and irritation instead of the healing gift of beauty that could have been there.