Dear Reader:

Yesterday as I was taking photos of my gorgeous pink camellias … abundantly filling every stem… I happened to glance down and in almost a mirror effect… many of the camellias had gotten blown off the gigantic bush/tree. The ground beneath was filled with them-in every stage of development.

The cause…Literally the last two days have been “Winnie the Pooh Blustery Days.”

As beautiful as the camellias were on the stems-over 10 feet tall… the ground beneath my feet was covered too/mimicking a newly wed’s bedroom covered in rose petals.

But the title photo made me sad … these two camellia buds stayed tight in their ” cocoons” too long-without taking the leap of faith to unfurl and bloom for all the world to see. As a result of a wind storm they were separated from their secure stem before blooming.

The Risk to Bloom

” And then the day came

when the risk to remain

tight in a bud was

more painful than the

risk to bloom! “

Haven’t we all faced dilemmas that place us in similar tight bud situations? Do we take a risk for an unknown opportunity that might help us bloom – or painfully stay holed up , tight as a bud” watching the world pass us by?

Haven’t most of us witnessed a family member, or friend, or even ourselves change our lives with a leap of faith toward trusting in love again, moving to a new destination to start over with a fresh start or begin a new career with room for advancement?

Stop and remember the precise moment when ( in your life) the status quo became more painful than the leap of faith into the unknown.

So until tomorrow… Trust in God… imagine God softly urging you to feel a relief of freedom more precious and powerful than anything you have ever experienced. Open up your bud and BLOOM!

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh

*** Don’t we all love to hear friends or family (take a second glance at us and sincerely say-) ” You look terrific… like you are in full bloom! ”