What Helps Us Unfurl Our Natural Beauty?


Sunday, January 21, 2018


Today, I was looking at an early version of Week 20’s essay, A Time to Unfurl. It was really short. Fittingly, this essay took a while to unfurl. It had to simmer, becoming more pointed and specific in its message: we all need certain conditions to thrive. Even the photo I originally attached to the essay was switched out along the way- it’s hard to believe it didn’t originate with the gorgeous blue floral hues and energetic insects it ended up with. This is one of my absolute favorites of Marlene’s work.

This week I wrote another piece on the subject of Week 21 of Dear Teachers, What Is...And What Could Be, called On the Shore of What Is and What Could Be. I had totally forgotten about the essay in the book. I wrote this week’s piece from a completely different source and viewpoint but I think they support each other well.

January is about now. My now of Dear Teachers was different than today’s. I’ve changed. Not in huge ways, but it’s there. We all should be a bit different than we were in the past, right? Nothing is forever, and that is for the best.

The flowers that are us unfurl as they can, given the conditions we find ourselves. Perhaps the best thing for us to do today is provide both ourselves and those around us with the best conditions which we can, and embrace the bouquet we are gifted with as a result.

What happens when we look in the mirror and at those around us as flowers?


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