I am so inspired by the lowly rock rose (lewisia redivivia, aka Bitterroot). It grows in the most adverse of conditions, thriving in rocky, shallow soil where there is little rain fall. Their beauty stands out against the backdrop of sagebrush, rocks, and tumbleweeds. Here in the inland high plains desert, the weather is harsh. Summers often are hot and dry. Winters can be frigid, sometimes with snow that comes from the sky sideways. And always, no matter the season, the wind blows. And yet in May, at the peak of spring, the rock rose pushes up from the ground wearing its petals, all dressed up in hues from white to pale pink to bright fuchsia.
So how does this small flower inspire me? Particularly now as we head into this presidential election year, I see a political climate that is adverse, very much like the conditions in which this little flower lives. This wonderful country’s political atmosphere is so polarized. The political climate promotes hatred and intolerance. And there is a lot of discussion that reminds me of the hot, drying wind and the cold, snowy blizzards. Very inhospitable.
Unfortunately, I can’t change the political climate. Instead I choose to react with grace and calm and like the lowly rock rose, I choose not to let the political weather stop me from growing.
