Flowers and Weeds - Perspective -

I came home from a day of friend time with a Mister Lincoln brilliant red rose bush, stopping at Sunriver Gardens to purchase this, which happens to be the happiest place on Utah County shopping earth. 

Scott does not like rose bushes. He's made this very apparent over the years, stating his parents had roses, and they grew totally out of control. In his mind, roses are thorny weeds. 

My counter-argument to this was to point out his giant sunflowers he proudly grows every year, come up voluntarily (as well as planted seedlings) and taking up so much garden space. I enjoy watching them grow, yet they're sunflowers, ginormous, taking up too much space and sun. They're pretty, but I wouldn't choose these to dedicate my time to. 

Well, he even helped me plant the rose bush, and I soaked the sunflower seeds for him to plant on Monday.

I walked outside from my office into the hospital yesterday, the landscaping around the courtyard here is beautiful, and yet I couldn't help but notice bright yellow dandelions, throughout the flower bed. My impulse was to kneel down and start digging. And then I saw the purple Creeping Jenny filling in the space between shrubs, and thought how lovely the ground cover is.  

I thought of Chick and Marie Swan, neighbors of ours in Alabama. Marie walked the neighborhood with a dagger attached to the end of  a long stick, digging up every dandelion she saw. She was super-vigilant in her desire to eradicate the neighborhood from dandelions. And yet the tiny purple grape hyacinth that spread right along-side the dandelions were more invasive and ignored. 

I thought of Mr. Lindsay, the USU-trained nursery-man, Brigham City neighbor, who spent his time pulling Creeping Jenny from every ditch-bank and public garden along his morning, afternoon, and evening walks. He said it choked out other plants, and people who bought this to keep erosion down were crazy, it spread too fast and too far. English Ivy was his favorite ground cover, even though it has a reputation of being so spreading. 

I feel fortunate to live in a world of contradiction. Differing opinions, various perspectives, viewpoints that challenge or intrigue, fill my heart. I enjoy listening, learning, understanding, gathering. 

Do differences have to be conflict? Do perspectives have to be challenged? Do viewpoints have to destructive? I say there is room for a variety of thoughts, perspectives, ground cover, flowers, weeds in our lives. Even rose bushes and sunflowers. 

I've cited before, I'll do so again, Anthropologist Wade Davis said, "The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit." 

Here's to peacefully co-existing.