I have never explained my blog header to you readers. (Not sure if there are many of you left after my several hiatuses and creative droughts. If there are not, I will write this as a letter to myself.)
My blog header, a puff of a weed, a dandelion. I never saw dandelions as being weeds. I always liked them, brought them home for my mom (who promptly threw them away after smiling and telling us she loved them). You see, this is the nature of adult life. We are no longer able to enjoy the small things we did as children.
Dandelions are scattered eventually. They don't remain whole. Which I think is a perfect metaphor for a human being. We are not in control of the various pieces of ourselves. We give away portions of our hearts, our time, and our efforts. Wind and life makes us scatter these things, makes us give them away until perhaps at a later point in time, we feel naked and robbed of what we could have kept for ourselves. What is a dandelion without its seeds? Without the beautiful yellow and white that surrounds its core? Does it have meaning anymore?
But all those seeds it gave away are sprouting and becoming something beautiful on their own. And we, as people, we are drained sometimes. We are plucked of our seeds or willingly donate them to others who need them more than we do. And suddenly we find ourselves without anything to protect us from an oncoming winter. We have been too scattered, have not conserved anything for ourselves. Winter crushes us and we suffer.
This, the ultimate sacrifice. To leave aside what we could have selfishly kept, so that others can live life a little better. But as the weeds that we are, our roots run deep. And when the pain and frost have ended, we are not gone. We grow again, and we give again.
It's funny perhaps, that I could have such a role model. But I aspire to be as strong as that dandelion.
8 comments:
But dandelions inflame my hayfever allergies, so I can not like dandelions.
that's a very well written piece :)
keep it up :)
I'm still here! And this post is why---what a beautiful post! Thank you for these wonderful thoughts.
hey Asmaa, you've been tagged to post something... remember to tag others! :)
- commonplacer
overall a good post :)
my comments are in caps:
I never saw dandelions as being weeds. I always liked them,
[ME TOO]
They don't remain whole. Which I think is a perfect metaphor for a human being.
[THAT'S A PRETTY DEPRESSING SENTIMENT].
We are not in control of the various pieces of ourselves.
[I LIKE TO THINK I HAVE MORE CONTROL THAN MOST].
Wind and life makes us scatter these things, makes us give them away until perhaps at a later point in time, we feel naked and robbed of what we could have kept for ourselves.
[IS THIS TEXT ADVOCATING A NON-CHARITABLE LIFESTYLE?]
What is a dandelion without its seeds?
[A SUCCESSFUL DANDELION, IN THE REPRODUCTIVE SENSE].
Does it have meaning anymore?
[DID IT HAVE MEANING TO BEGIN WITH? ONLY THE MEANING YOU GAVE IT].
We have been too scattered, have not conserved anything for ourselves. Winter crushes us and we suffer.
[I THINK THE ATTEMPTED METAPHOR SORT OF FALLS APART. A DANDELIONS FLOWER AND SEEDS ARE FOR REPRODUCTION NOT PROTECTION.]
Umar, I guess that's too bad for you.
Anon, thanks.
Elizabeth, glad to know you're still around :)
Anon #3, a metaphor is not meant to be an absolute perfect comparison between two things. If two things being likened to one another through a metaphor were the exact same, they'd no longer be two different things. And your metaphor would collapse. It's a bit silly to expect a human and a dandelion to function in the same way.
As for your other points, I don't feel like replying to them, though I'm sure they're made in jest. Basically, your comment just annoyed me :) sorry.
I think this is beautiful.
:)
that was an amazing post...true inspiration
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