Perennial growth cycle

I planted beautiful flowers a few years ago from seed.

The first year, the seedlings barely made it out of the soil. The second year, they grew tall with lots of leaves but no blooms. This year, they have finally shown their full blooming glory to me.

These flowers are visible from my kitchen window so I keep stealing glances of them when I am at the sink. What a beautiful gift it is to watch perennials become more robust each year when they return. Isn’t that a perfect metaphor for personal growth?

The audacious, hurried adventure of new growth that appears decidedly out of nowhere; the tiny “seedling” that seems fragile and capable all at once.

The slow, painstaking journey from seedling to a tall, mature plant, reaching its full height and stretching its foliage outward, grasping for new experiences and interacting with its environment.

The realization of the plant’s fullest expression, blossoming in an unapologetic but fleeting manner. Beauty, insight or clarity sometimes stays with us for only a split second necessary to learn a lesson, remember some critical aspect of ourselves or feel connected to something greater.

Then, bearing fruit or seeds for the future. Taking action or creating something in the world that brings ourselves to life.

Finally, a slowing down. That calm, nurturing “death” that brings us back to our inner world to integrate the self that we’ve worked to discover and create. A time of quiet and stillness and peace before the cycle quickens and we begin again.