Columbine Is Blooming

Summary

The article reflects on the resilience of the Columbine community, paralleling the proliferation of the columbine flower with the enduring spirit of students following the tragic school shooting.

Abstract

The author of the article draws a parallel between the invasive yet beautiful columbine flowers in their garden and the resilience of the Columbine High School community post-tragedy. Despite the sadness associated with the school's name due to the infamous 1999 shooting, the article highlights stories of transformation and inspiration. It tells of a young woman who overcame victimization to prove her capabilities and a young man who taught his students compassion. The narrative emphasizes that while the story of the tragedy could easily dominate, it is the strength and positive impact of the students that truly defines Columbine.

Opinions

The author admires the beauty of the columbine flowers but also feels a sense of melancholy due to their association with the Columbine tragedy.
There is a recognition of the columbine's invasive nature, as it has taken over parts of the garden originally allocated to other plants.
The author expresses a deep respect for the resilience of the Columbine High School students, who have turned their personal tragedies into sources of inspiration and strength for others.
The article suggests that the true legacy of Columbine should be the stories of overcoming adversity, rather than the narrative of victimization.

Tarnished beauty and resilience

Photo by author.

Our beautiful columbine will take over the garden if we let it. It expanded into areas originally given to raspberries and completely engulfed the spigot. My husband ripped it out by the handful to water our strawberries and tomatoes.

Different colors of columbine. Photo by author.

Blue columbine is the Colorado state flower. Many things are named after it, like Columbine High School.

Even as I admire the flowers’ beauty, I feel a pang of sadness for those students and that community.

A young woman I coached changed her story from victimization to prove she could do anything. And a young man in my Toastmasters club inspired his students with learning compassion.

The story of Columbine High School could take over, if we let it. But the beauty is the resilience of the students who turned their tragedy into gifts for others.