Flowers and What They Can Teach Us About Time

Time. My mind is tempted to obsess over this topic. It is always tick- ticking away. It is always passing and always coming at full speed. 

Why do some days feel like they drag on and why are some days gone in a blip? These are not original questions, which I think makes them even more interesting. Why is time so confounding to humans and why does it often feel like there is never enough of it? 

I was thinking about this earlier, because I was looking at a picture I took of a Wisteria Vine around where I live in SE Portland. I remember finding the vine by surprise on a morning walk. It seemed almost magical that a place I walk by so regularly could be transformed seemingly overnight. Then in a few days, all the flowers were gone. This made me really question how much attention I was paying to the moments all around me. I had missed all the signs of the flowers transitioning. I had not taken in the miracle of them being alive. 

As I write this, I am reminded of the first and only speeding ticket I received. I was 16 years old and only going 35 MPH, unfortunately it was in a school zone. As I was shaking in my car from fear the friendliest cop I had ever met smiled and told me to, “just take time and smell the roses” as he handed me the ticket. Little did I know that ticket would lead to a license suspension and my ability to drive would be taken for the next 3 years! During which time I would spend every day “just taking time and smelling the roses” as I passed them by on public transit. I can now thankfully giggle about it. 

I think one of the reasons the idea of time can be so frightening is because it is so out of our control. Utterly untamable. It is one of the few forces that equalize us as humans. Time forces us to look at our own mortality. We certainly have agency in our lives (some more than others), but time is one element reminding us to put our hands up and enjoy the ride. It will not slow down, it will not pause, and there are no breaks. Many find comfort by trusting that  “everything happens for a reason”, as a response to the injustices of time. While I can certainly see the appeal I don’t quite ascribe to the idea.

The amount of time that I feel I have is directly correlated with my perception of control in my life. It is the one aspect I have no capability of exerting control over. It is the universal limiter. Yesterday, my best friend who is supposed to give birth in one week had an episode with symptoms indicating a stroke. She was taken to the hospital as I rushed to her house to care for her two year-old. In the unknowing and the waiting I could not help but let the thoughts wash over my mind: she is too young, her due date is only a week away, I didn’t get to see her. She is recovering now and the baby was thankfully unaffected, but those moments woke me up to what I have. More time.

Flowers remind me that no matter what is achieved in life, no matter our race, or socioeconomic background, at the end of our time we die. 

A rose reaches her peak right before her petals fall off. Cherry Blossom trees only bloom for a few weeks in the year. Lilacs are fragrant for only a few days, but in that time aren’t they so brilliantly fragrant?

Through all these ramblings, I think that is where the beauty lies. For me flowers invoke passionate thoughts about time, life, and what we are doing in this world. They are pure metaphors for some of the richest experiences of our lives. I think that is why we gravitate to sharing flowers during the big moments - for love, congratulations, and death. 

I can not end this blog honestly without talking about the hope I have. I am a believer in an eternal hope that inspires my actions and principles. The guidance from this hope has had a significant impact on my perspective of time. In my worldview this life is only the precursor to an eternity of endless peace, where love reigns. For that reason I share in that peace now although, yes, I know my time is tick-ticking away. I know my worth is not determined by how I spend my time, and neither is yours. 

We never know what tomorrow holds, but we are alive right now. Draw your attention to and enjoy what is blooming. Press into the people around and love fiercely.