"The nature of a flower is to bloom." -Alice Walker
Spring appears to have come early to the Atlanta, Georgia area. Very much like the rest of the United States, a mild winter is quickly turning into spring like weather. In fact we might just skip it and go directly to summer.
With the warm weather though comes the heavy dusting of pollen from the pine trees. This yellowish dusting is the most obvious sign although not the most annoying to with allergies. Many of the other plants with their unseen pollen invades the nostrils and lungs.
I am fortunate enough not to be bothered by allergies. But for those that are, this is a very tough time of the year. Why we have pollen is actually uplifting in my view. But to understand why, we must ask...
What is pollen?
Simply put, pollen is the powdery, dusty substance found within flowering plants. The pollen is necessary for the fertilization of like plants so that new seeds can develop, scatter and create more plants. Sounds very similar to those old high school biology classes we sat in.
The reason I find pollen so uplifting is the phrase, "so that new seeds can develop." In other words, new life is born of this process. Without it, the backyards, fields and open land would be barren. The earth would be pretty much void of anything living.
The same can be said of the words you speak into your life and the lives of others. What you say can spring forth good things in life, or they can cause harm and wither you where you stand.
- Think of good words as good pollen.
- Think of bad words as mutated pollen.
When you speak good things into your life and others, those words spark new life inside. They form with everything that is good and cause a reaction that force new growth inside of you. And like pollen, the wind and your voice will carry those words to those around you. Your words (good or bad) will pollinate inside the lives of those nearby.
- If you speak negativity and failure around your children, that is what will grow inside of them.
- If you speak positive and uplifting words, they will grow in a world of success and goodness.
We are very much like the flower, we are meant to bloom. When a flower opens its petals to release its pollen, our words drift from our speech upon others. And like the flower, we can either leave a yellowish dust to be scorned by people. Or we can spread our words quietly, silently and create new hope and birth in the lives of others.
During this season I will say "gesundheit" for all of the sneezing you might encounter. But I will also say "inspire" others with your words and don't stop when the pollen season ends.
