Day 356

After church today, I headed outside to play with the pups, take a bike ride AND deal with some of the dandelions that abound in our yard! The first two were joyous, but the last one became more ghastly with each "flower picked."

As a child, I thought dandelions were just about the prettiest thing I had ever seen! The brilliant yellow against the green of the grass was breathtaking! Later, when I was on the playground with my elementary students, I would be handed countless bouquets of them and delight in the act of giving...even if my hands were a bit sticky and green when it was time to go inside for math time.

Asher and I were walking home from his preschool the other day and he was mesmerized with the yellow beauties. "Hey, Nanny! Let's pull some and take them home to plant in the yard! ORRRR...we could go buy seeds and plant them in the garden!" We took home the biggest and best, placing them in a vase for all to admire. Luckily, he forgot about buying dandelion seeds...is there such a packet?

As I stooped and dug up the roots of the dandelions in my yard, I began to wonder why we partake in this ritual every year. They are pretty and the contrast with the green grass is breathtaking. However, I do love my neighbors and wouldn't want to cause them any undue angst over their very green lawns!

It is quite evident that some people compare humans to weeds and flowers...placing each in a category. It isn't a new concept, but it did cross my mind as I stooped over to pluck the zillionth weed from my boulevard. I once read a book entitled "Blink," where the author maintained that we judge others in the blink of an eye. He continued to expand on that thought and encouraged people to "trust their first impression." I know there is some truth to the "Blink Philosophy" and acknowledge my instincts for safety and well-being in some situations. However, what if a person sized up an individual in a split second and then took the time to discover if that "blink" was honest and accurate.

For myself, I will still trust my instincts, but also take a breath and give the situation a chance. Perhaps the dandelion is really a daffodil in disguise.

I know my Goldens are much better at acceptance than I am. Once again, I can learn from my pups. By the way, they love dandelions.