Petals by Cindy H. Reed

Shedding the layers we call life, I'm blessed to have an outlet to share my thoughts.  It's important to me to be able to do what I love; write and express.  I'm starting this blog to record my feelings, open the door to conversation, and to enhance my creative process.  I welcome you to join this journey with me as I take my next steps.

Last week, I took pictures of roses my husband gave me; they'd reached the end of their lifespan.  As I took them out of the water, I realized just how beautiful they looked and I couldn't part with them.  I'd never seen roses die with the same beautiful designs they had when alive.  

Beautiful in appearance, I decided to take pictures of them individually.  I needed to record just how beautiful they were in death, as they were in life.  As I picked them up, some of them started shedding their petals.  Trying to preserve them as they were before my touch, I realized that as delicate as my touch was, I had no control over them shedding parts of their life, no longer needed.

This process got me to thinking about how we all have petals in life.  We live and we die.  We shed petals by having the past.  The death of the roses made me see that there's beauty in death, something I never imagined possible.

As I come to age 51, my fear of death is beginning to diminish.  I'm finding peace there, I never thought possible.  I'm realizing that death, even though it's a sad occasion, there's a certain beauty that's preserved and a certain level of peace in knowing that our loved one has gone on to a better place.

I'm looking at life with new glasses.  My vision enhanced.  I'm seeing things for the first time.  Maybe that comes with age, maybe maturity.  What I do know is, there's no maybe when it comes to where I've come from, where I am, and where I'm going.  

Shedding my petals, allows me to reflect and become a better me.  My walk is different, my heart is softer.  My tolerance is enhanced times ten, and my ability to forgive surprises even me.  I recognize that one day, I too will reach the end of the road so I strive to have my petals be as productive, loving and spiritually connected as I can have them be.   I look forward to hearing those words..... "well done, thou good and faithful servant".