The site of the beautiful wild roses, with their colors of light and dark contrasting shades of pink, along with the wonderful perfume fragrance from their first blossom's mixed with the fresh clean scent of the mountain air pulled Eagle in, capturing her senses of sight and smell. No cultivated garden could compare to the beauty which grew so perfectly and with no care by way of human hands. That which Mother Earth had given birth to with no help from her human children was certainly a gift and a blessing.
Many times and ways we have read the saying or heard the saying, "You need to stop and smell the roses." Stop and think to yourself how often you have taken the time to do this in your life. How many times other things have taken priority in your life. Perhaps the fear of consequences in your life have guided you to continue on your way without stopping. Fear, you may say and laugh. Yes, Fear. Fear of loosing a job, not getting ahead, of being late for an appointment. Each has their own excuses be it rushing to pick up the kids, get them to practice on time, making dinner, cleaning the home and doing laundry. All the fears and excuses our minds can conjure up, keep us from living and enjoying the most precious gift given to us, which is, as one wise person I know would put it, "Are you in the land of the living and amongst the living?"
How many things we miss out on because of our obsession and need for acceptance, wanting to fit in. The recipe for making us into a civil part of the so called accepted society calls and dictates for us to conform to some unwritten and unseen author of acceptable behavior. This recipe for living our lives which, so many try to follow and abide by has enslaved, made dependent, and has taken away many of our natural gifts, talents, and instincts, not to mention the gift of common sense. Perhaps, the greatest sadness of all, is it has taken away our freedom of being individuals of original thoughts and ideas, along with squelching the gifts of natural creativity.
Individualism, you say with a puzzled look, My reply is yes! Individualism most certainly. When a woman gives birth to a child she has brought life into this world, a perfect human being in every sense. The child comes into this world with everything that is needed to prepare one to live life just as much as the wild rose has all it needs to live. As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, authors, film makers no matter who or how the child's life is touched, and each no matter it be a moment, short period of time or a life time, all without exception have an impact on the child's life. It is through other humans the child's individuality is molded and formed. The recipe begins at the moment of birth to improve and make acceptable to society this creation of a human being, which was created with perfection and carry's inside itself so much natural knowledge, spirituality, instincts, and so many special gifts unique only to them.
In the process of molding and dictating to this most wonderful and precious gift, society has told humanity they cannot give birth, raise the child or educate the child in a proper manner without the proper education, financial and secured future means to do this. This is carried through to the extent the child must have the latest in fashions and gear in order for the child to play happily and safely.
The ability to learn from one's own experiences and by way of living life and learning from life experience has been denied to our children, thus preventing them from becoming adults who no longer strive to live life, but merely to become robots and seek not their own truths, but the truths of others. How often have we said or heard others say of their children, "When are they going to become independent and stand on their own two feet?" My question is, "How can they, when we, as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles fail to motivate, inspire and encourage them to experience, seek for themselves the joys and the knowledge that is abundantly out there for them and lastly, how can they, when we are not willing to make them the highest priority in our life." You may say, "But I do, I work very hard for them to have the things they need." Working hard and providing for our needs and theirs is important and I do not mean to take away from that fact of life, yet it is the most important priority, which we take the path of least resistance to us and reward material gains instead of taking the higher moral ground demanding higher ethical behavior of ourselves and of our children.
The wild roses growing on the side of the road have much wisdom and truth to share with us. Their wisdom can help us to become better citizens, happier beings and live life to it's fullest, if we will listen with our heart and take time to stop and smell them. It has been said, "The rose plant is like life and shows us much about our selves and about life. The rose, as beautiful and fragrant, as it is, also has a defense for those who are not careful and get too close to it, for as much joy, as the flower may bring to the eyes and nose, the prick of the thorn brings, as much pain to the touch. Each human being experiences both joy and pain and is capable of bringing both to others. The rose is seen, as being fragile, this accounts for our seeing it, as beautiful. Least often the rose is seen, as being resilient. In a wind storm the rose may bend and fall touching the ground always recovering and coming back again. It may, at times, appear to be broken and we think it will not continue to live, yet, if we are patient and wait a little while, one will see the rose return in the spring stronger and more beautiful than it was before it fell broken from the winds, storms and all that has tried to kill it and keep it from standing tall and beautiful. So it is that I say to others stop and smell the roses. It just might be worth the time and the consequences one pays, for a few minutes out of one's day and time and it just might make a difference in how one's life is lived and shared with others, especially those who have been given a gift of the life of another. Length of life is short for all, not just the bloom of the wild rose growing along side the road.
How long has it been since you have stopped and smelled the roses and enjoyed their full beauty? How much longer before you allow yourself to enjoy, experience and accept the natural gifts given by CREATOR and Mother Earth to each of us, which are here for us to learn from. To find and experience for ourselves our own truths and not rely on others for answers, which we can never claim, as being our own.
Written by WEagle
From Travels With The Bison
15 June 2003
It is understood these stories will not be used for other than personal use and without financial gain or profit without prior permission from the author. All rights reserved
Other Articles from WEagle-[The Bears and Coyote] [Coyote and the Greatest Cry Heard Round the World] [TIPIS] [A Grain of Sand to Ponder]
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