A rose by any other name...
It is one of the most iconic flowers in the garden, recognized as a symbol of love, beauty, innocence and purity. As some of the most popular flowers around the globe, roses are often considered the grandest, most fragrant, most important and beautiful--proved by their expansive presence in history, literature, and the arts.
It's no wonder that, with the variety of colors and sizes, they are the flower of choice for birthdays, budding romances (pun intended!), anniversaries, special occasions, parades, and holidays. The Society of American Florists estimated that 198 million roses were produced for Valentine's Day, alone in 2010 (1).
Like most flowers that decorate our world, the rose's worth is deeper than lush outward beauty. Rose hips are high in vitamin C. Rose oil is reported to act as an antidepressant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, aphrodisiac, and astringent, among other benefits (2). In India and Italy, rose water is used as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, as well as a fine liquor (3). In the world of science, the rose is supposedly a very old flower in fossil records, showing up in deposits in Colorado, Oregon, Montana, and China. Many scientists date these fossils back millions of years! And let's not forget the value of the rose in our finest works of literature: Juliet's infamous monologue ("A rose by any other name would smell as sweet") in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and Turkish delight, a rose-flavored dessert made very popular by C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe!
As beautiful as they are to see and smell, roses also sport some pretty nasty, thorny defense-attack structures that can cut and scrape if you get close enough to reach for them. But perhaps these, too, are precious reminders--timeless metaphors, if you will--that pain and sorrow are necessary companions to beauty and joy. Such is the nature of contrast.
Okay, we get it. Roses are beautiful, fragrant, and should be appreciated as such. But where did this notion--this cliché or idiom--come from in the first place, and what does it mean to us with respect to this week's blog message? According to the Free Dictionary, to "stop and smell the roses" means to "become calm, and reflect upon the finer or more enjoyable aspects of life, especially when one has become overworked or overly stressed." As far as its origins, the phrase "Stop and smell the roses" traces its roots back to a similar saying, "Stop and smell the flowers," which is attributed to golfer Walter Hagen. It appeared in a 1956 book entitled, The Walter Hagen Story as such: "You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, Don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way."
Therein lies our meaning for this blog. We are embarking on a brand new school year. For half of you reading this blog, it is a milestone year: you are culminating your high school experience--getting ready to close one very significant chapter of your life, and move on to another that will form the bridge into adulthood with all its multifarious responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities. You will, as we have discussed in class, be tired. You will also, at times, find yourselves in the grip of fear and anxiety. You will have tough days and long nights. You will make mistakes, say things you don't mean, upset people you don't mean to upset, and, in turn, be hurt and slighted by others. You will feel pressured and tested, and yes, sometimes, you will even fail. But you will also discover, as you stand back up again to face another day, that you are stronger than you thought. You will learn that you are capable of a great deal more than you believed, and you will persevere.
This is where character is shaped and refined, that is to be sure. But it is also where we learn what it
really means to be grateful, and we start to understand the precious gift of grace: the grace we receive from others, and the grace we learn to give ourselves. Never in your life has it been more important for you to stop from time to time--amid the papers and proms, tests and trials, athletics and activities, expectations and events--to take in the beautiful view and sweet fragrance that is this time in your life. It will never come again. It is here...right now. How important it is in the rat race of life to breathe it all in and live, truly, in the moment that is now! Take a few extra minutes to savor a profound line in literature; take another long look at that painting in the art room; marvel at the complexities of that math equation; and linger in the lab as you walk through the steps of your experiment. You are here. You are young. You are ALIVE. And just like that rose in the garden, it's a beautiful thing.
So this blog, the first for the seniors, and the second for the juniors is meant as a time for you to reflect. Take a moment to think about all the things you treasure most, all the dreams you hope to fulfill. Look around your room--I mean, really look. Drink it all in. Page through that scrapbook or sort through some of those pictures that can still stir up some wistful nostalgia! Hit replay on your favorite song! Take a long walk in December and enjoy the sparkling glow of the Christmas lights! Wish on a star! This is your time! Give it your all, work hard, take that IB exam and test your limits, to be sure! But don't forget to take time out to... (you guessed it) smell those roses. They are classic...timeless...beautiful...and they are truly something to appreciate!
I have attached a link here of some really amazing, mystifying, awe-inspiring photos captured by some pretty gifted photographers. Enjoy looking through each of them, and then choose one or two that really catch your eye and tickle your fancy. Describe them, and tell me below what captured you about them: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iXh7CDvDJU2GTrL8SSaACSgxz2E8l-9Y/view?usp=sharing
I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did. My mother actually sent them to me in an email over the summer. Her accompanying message read: "Thinking of you...thought you might enjoy these. They are really something to see!"
As usual, my mother is right. There truly is a lot to see in this world, and we can find some lovely views, often in unexpected places.
I would like to close with the infamous wisdom of Ferris Bueller: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you just might miss it!" As you go throughout this, your junior or senior year, don't forget to look around once in awhile. Take some time to stop and smell the roses!
(As the research above suggests, it is literally good for you!)
Footnotes
1. "How Many Roses Are Sold on Valentine's Day," ProFlowers.com, January 25, 2016, https://www.proflowers.com/blog/how-many-roses-are-sold-valentines-day.
2. "19 Surprising Benefits of Rose Essential Oil" Organic Facts, February 14, 2018, https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-rose-essential-oit.html.
3. Aashna Ahuja, "10 Rose Water Benefits: From Anti-oxidants to Anti aging," NDTV Food, April 30, 2018.
