"Bloom where you are planted"

Thought I'd share some images of the flowers in my mom's garden.  Isn't it amazing how many different flowers there are in the world and I've only seen a limited few.  Just with one type of flower there are so many varieties, so many different colours.  Kind of like people no two are ever the same.  

Tulips are one of my favourites.

The tulip is the world's third most popular flower after rose and chrysanthemum. 

There are over 3,000 different registered varieties of cultivated tulips...WOW!  

The majority of tulips are grown and exported from Holland.

Each year billions of tulips are cultivated.

Some days I feel like how this tulip looks, like I don't quite measure up to those that stand so tall and elegant :-)  But of course I'm already heading down the wrong road when I start comparing myself to others.  I think many of us are tempted to head down that road especially when our day doesn't seem to be going so great and we're not feeling the best about who we are and what we're accomplishing.

And other days, life is wonderful.  I feel connected with the Lord and those I love and I just want to share it with others and make a difference in this world.

"Where flowers bloom so does hope."

Lady Bird Johnson

"Bloom where you are planted."

Oh if we could only live that quote fully.  Flowers just come up where they are planted and they bloom, giving us a beautiful show of colour.  Yet we as humans can have such a hard time finding our place.  And often times we fear others will take our place.  We can feel like we don't measure up, that someone else will do our job better than we ever could.  Someone will parent better...will be more beautiful...will take better pictures...will be a better wife...will have life together more...will be more successful...will be more talented...will have more to offer...will have better behaved kids...will be more giving...will be more loving...and the list could go on and on and there could be truth in all of it.  But while you're so concerned about all these things life passes you by and you miss out and others miss out on what you really have to offer this world.  Grab a hold of life...press into it's challenges...find your passion...give your all...don't always be looking over your shoulder...don't always be so concerned about what others think...live life to the fullest...that's what you were created for!  As each flower is unique so is each person and no one can fill your place on this earth and if you don't fill it it will be like a flower that never bloomed giving the world the beauty of it's presence.  And just as flowers go through seasons so do we.  This year because of the weather the lilacs aren't near what they were last year, but they're still pushing forward with what blooms they do have.  They don't just quit because they're less than last year...same is true for us, there will be seasons where we're flying and others where it's hard to get off the ground but we must still choose to live.

"Bloom where you are planted."