African Violets
Dear Readers,
I once was speaking with an older woman who mentioned African violets, a kind of flower I had never heard of before. They have big, vibrant dark purple petals with yellow in the center. Unique, beautiful, and textured.
This woman had lost her husband. She was very strong, but I’m sure being a widow must bring immense pain. We all face endings in life and can relate to this pain in our own ways.
However, this woman told me that to her, African violets symbolize hope and the resurgence of life.
The petals of the African violet, textured, unique, and vibrant, wilt over time as they decay. How can such beauty leave? Why does color have to fade? Why can’t all beauty be everlasting?
Over time, a bud appears, and petal by petal, new beauty emerges. A new flower in full bloom. Slightly distinctive in its own way, but still beautiful.
African violets are perennials, meaning they die and the next season they naturally grow back. They can bloom every year and live up to 50 years.
The woman I spoke to said that the bud is “visual proof that life goes on.”
Nature gives us hope. Nature teaches us about growth and regrowth. Like flowers, our lives are filled with resurgence of beauty.
I think for humans, both endings and beginnings are scary. When something comes to an end in your life or you start something new, you never know what the future holds. This often makes us anxious because many of us have a natural fear of uncertainty and do not like unanswered questions or unknown outcomes. We may feel that if something wonderful ends, we will never be happy again or nothing will ever compare to what was. When something begins, we do not know how it will go and we may fear what our new journey brings.
While vibrant and lovely, some flowers only remain for a season. Appreciate beauty while it lasts. Some flowers may even carry everlasting beauty in our hearts. But understand that when or if something comes to an end in life, beauty still exists. You may have a new flower in bloom soon.
Love,
Samantha
