In Full Bloom

My post today is not only about spring,
although this sign is perfect for dreaming of warmer weather and spring blossoms.
But the sign and the post have a little more meaning for me than that.

There's a story about a girl.
Most of my close friends already know it.
You may have already heard a similar tale yourself.

This girl once felt so very alone.
Completely lost, without any sense of where her life could be headed.
If she'd had to put her finger on it, she probably could have only pointed out 2 things
worth being alive for, and those things were her children.
That's not to say she ever thought about giving away the gift of her life.
But, the truth is, she couldn't see her life as a gift at all.
She had lost so much, she thought,
including hope.
Never did she think things would get better.
And she slowly began to wilt and wither
until she was practically unrecognizable.

I couldn't really explain to you what the turning point was for her,
what brought her out of this dismal place.
It wasn't a big thunderbolt that hit her and made her decide
to change the direction her life was heading in.
It was more a burning ember inside her,
one that refused to be extinguished,
no matter how hard someone tried to smother the fire.

She thought she was completely broken.
But she was not.
She was injured, to be certain.
But fractures and breaks can heal,
even within the innermost workings of someone's self confidence.

With the help of others who saw in her that glowing ember,
and knew her worth when she did not,
she nurtured herself back to health.
She put herself back into the sunshine instead of hiding among the shadows
and, eventually, after enough time had passed,
her fractures began to heal.

And then something rather amazing happened...
She began to bloom again.
All that had been dormant for years,
that had been buried underneath layers and layers
of inadequacy, shame and hurt,
began to blossom.
For, you see, once a seed is planted, it very much wants to grow and thrive.

So, if you see a seed of hope in someone, please do your best to nourish it.

That seed may need to be watered.
It might need to be brought out into the sunlight.
It may need a little help from you
but, let me tell you, it wants to grow.
Help it along in anyway you can. 

These days, I feel like I really am living my life in full bloom.

Looking back on how drastically different things once were for me,

I can only say that it is much better to put yourself out there,

just as you are,

for the entire world to see.

Although there will be some who overlook you,

and there will be some who only see the flaws in your design,

there will be so many more who appreciate

the rare beauty that you are.

Those are the people to hold dear.

The ones that give you what you need to blossom and live life in full bloom.

Let's keep in touch...

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Your comments make me smile :) 'Til next time!