PROSE. PHOTOGRAPHY
A Lesson from a Rose
Taking life in stride
The Lesson
This flower forms layer upon layer of paper petals, so delicate and seemingly fragile. The petals are sewn together at their core and joined at the pedicle of their receptacle. Flurries of petals, flow in unison to form one distinct flower.
It seems as though a single wind could carry them away and they would drift into the air into the unknown. They’re surprisingly strong, durable, and resilient, held together by the strength arising from their midst
Battered by recent rain and hailstorms, it would seem they would wash away. Plucked layers would drift off into unknown rivers. But the rain has ended. The flower has taken needed nourishment. It has supped freely from the waters of this life.
The rose lives to bask in the light of another day.
The flower takes its gifts from the sky Soaks up the water and the light taking whatever comes, in stride Perhaps that’s a lesson for us, in life.
A Rose by any other Name
What strikes me most about this rose, is that it doesn’t look real. It looks almost too perfect! It almost resembles paper. I find a strong parallel between this rose and people.
We see a name on a screen, and we can be tempted to think of people as paper, or just another name on a screen. Things may appear perfect from an outside perspective. But rest assured, each individual is a life force weathering their own storms.
We are all fragile in our own ways and contain layers upon layers. But we have great strength in our midst to face all the elements. We can take what life gives us to nourish our body, mind, and soul. We can discard the rest. We can take storms of life in stride, and live to bask in the light of another day.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” — William Shakespeare
Don Juan
The cover photo is a Don Juan climbing rose. It’s planted in a shady corner of my front yard. It’s one of the few roses that bloom in shade. It produces large velvety petals resembling heirloom roses.
This rose is extremely resilient and disease resistant. It produces some of the most beautiful papery rose petals I’ve ever seen. It makes a lovely cut rose in a vase.
As long as I deadhead spent blooms, the roses will bloom from early Spring, well into Autumn. Occasionally it’ll even brighten the winter months with a bloom or two.
Don Juan tolerates high humidity much better than other roses, and it’s easy to propagate from cuttings. In fact, the rose bush in the cover photo was grown from a cutting from my other rose bush. These roses have been a part of my garden since my first garden in 1996. My rose and I know each other pretty well by now.
This is the perfect climber and a prolific bloomer for an arbor or trellis. My plant is around 10 ft. high now as if it’s reaching for the sun. The sky is the limit!
Mia Verita 2022
Thank you for reading.
Thank you to the hard-working editors of Reciprocal, Dr. Preeti Singh, Sahil Patel, and Yana Bostongirl, for giving this flower a place to grow.
Dr. Fatima Imam, has shared this haven for tired souls and weary eyes.
Dr. Preeti Singh, has given us an encouraging message.
Mia Verita is a retired Advanced Practice nurse of over 26 years, with specialties in mental health and geriatrics. She enjoys gardening, especially plants that are easy to grow. She enjoys photography, sketching, writing poetry, and sharing inspirational stories.
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