FIERY

This is one of my favorite pictures because my mom planted this flower. Every time I look at this picture, I’m reminded of how mom used to talk about her plans to plant flowers around her home once she retired from the Military. Mom really likes gardening. I was really proud of my mom for growing this beauty. My mom currently has a beautiful garden where she grows flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. I'm happy my mom has a hobby to keep her occupied and I'm so proud of her for her dedication to keeping the plants alive.

I was 20 years old when I captured this beauty. I saw this flower as soon as I pulled into mom’s driveway. At first sight, I was intimidated by her beauty. I couldn’t understand why I was so drawn to it. Was it because she resembled a fire? Was it because she reminded me of my mom? Was it because of her unique colors and design? I’m not sure. Instead of wondering why I was so fixated on her beauty, I decided to just appreciate her for her.

I believe we encounter angels in some form every day. Ya’ know, like a stranger who compliments you and changes your entire mood for the day? Or when you’re running late for work and a squirrel distracts you by playing hide and seek, and you suddenly remember you didn’t put on any deodorant? Or the elderly woman who pulls out in front of you and makes you slam on breaks, reminding you to slow down so you won’t crash or get a speeding ticket, and then half a mile up the road you see a speed trap?

As I write this post today and reflect on how I can apply FIERY’s lesson to my life, I’m reminded of how I discussed my years-long struggle with accepting myself for my looks in my blog post SPOTT. I feel like this flower was an angel sent to teach me to simply appreciate beauty. She beautifully commanded my attention and then left without a trace the next day. Maybe she really was an angel, ya’know? I believe her purpose was to remind me to simply appreciate the unique beauty in everything God created, including myself.

I'm getting better at appreciating my beauty.

Life Lesson:

· Beauty is captivating.

How I Apply it to My Life:

· I pause to admire and appreciate all-things-beauty.

Song:

· Lauryn Hill – Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You

SLIDESHOW: Me at different ages. + that one time Grandma let me dress as a genie for Halloween. Lol.