Transformations

I love flowers and throughout the winter in particular usually have at least one if not more vases especially in the kitchen and living room. Not that I don’t also have the green plants living in the North corner of the living room in what was originally the plant “graveyard” until I discovered that with the mild light and warmth of the radiator they tended to flourish. Still call it the graveyard although it’s usually pretty lush looking.

As my kitchen is gray, black and white I use colored place mats, photos and some sort of decoration, usually floral, on the table as well.

Last week’s flowers although gorgeous when they were first put in the vase had all, but two, hung their heads and looked like they needed to be shipped out to the compost pile. That is until M got a hold of them. The transformation was stunning.

 

before

after

after

If by such a simple thing as cutting the stems, flowers can be transformed from ugly to beautiful, think of ways that we can also as humans change sad to happy, gray to light, problem to solution. I am sure that it’s not easy for all of us, but perhaps if we look at things, people and the world in general in another way or light, we can also achieve the just as stunning transformations.

Smile at someone today: not only will it change your face, it may just change their day.

Someone’s bag falls apart – offer them another.

A car cuts you off – wave them through (if nothing else they’ll wonder about your sanity).

Make that phone call that you have been putting off: someone may need the contact.

Just got a horrid letter – feel sorry for the person who wrote it – can’t touch me.

Raining? Just the sun watering the plants.

Heard some gossip: don’t pass it on, but if you know the person that it was about try perhaps gently (a key word here) to find out if they are hurting, what the truth might be, then return that to the gossiper.

Go on, I challenge you: take the ugly that you see and try and turn it into beauty.