A few summers ago, I was walking part of the North Down Coastal Path near Holywood when I came across some dog daisies growing out of a wall. (Apologies to all gardeners who know the correct botanical name for this plant!). Clearly, the dog daisies had not been formally planted there by a gardener but instead a seed had been dropped there by a bird or blown by the wind across Belfast Lough. Regardless of its rough start in life, the little seed germinated in a crack in the wall and grew into a wonderful plant full of beautiful flowers. In other words, it bloomed where it was planted.
“Bloom where you are planted” sounds like a Biblical quote but it’s actually not. In fact, it is a quote attributed to St Francis de Sales (1567 – 1622) when he was the Bishop of Geneva. He invited people to “to bloom in the garden where you have been planted”. In other words, to make the best of the situation that you are in.
Unfortunately, life doesn’t always follow the perfect blueprint that you have mapped out in your head. For some people, life is plain sailing on a calm blue sea but for others, the sea is rough and dangerous, full of difficulties and hardships. But we do have a choice as to how to respond even in challenging circumstances. Instead of living like a hermit having permanent duvet days, choose to “make lemonade when life throws you lemons”. So try to be positive.
Of course, it’s not just about surviving about where we are planted. We need to “bloom” too and give pleasure to people who we come across, just like the dog daisies on the North Down Coastal Path. There wasn’t just one solitary flower but a whole bunch of yellow and white flowers brightening up a dreary wall at the coast. How can you brighten up a dreary situation? Yes, you can certainly have some flowers in your home, wear bright cheerful colours or do some decluttering in your home, but you can also strive to be a “radiator” and boost other people’s moods. Radiators are a direct contrast to the “drainers” who bleed you dry from energy and positivity. Take a moment to ask yourself “Are you a radiator or a drainer?” Please be honest!
Sometimes, it can be really hard to “bloom where you are planted” even though you know you should. This is the time that you need your friends and family to step up and help you through difficult times. Just like the dog daisies, we need to be “watered” and encouraged to keep going through the grey days by other people who are “blooming where they are planted”.
Lynda
The Author
Lynda Willis lives in Co Armagh and writes blogs about her rambles in nature as well as rambling about topics close to her heart. This year, she is fundraising for Macmillan Cancer so please click here if you’d like to donate.
