So this morning I am sitting at my desk looking out the window at a climbing rose that I was given by a dear friend probably 10+ years ago. This beautiful rose gets very little love and yet it has grown and thrived until this past long hot summer and suddenly one day it looked very dead. It seemed to happen overnight - although obviously that is not true - but we took it for granted and loved its beauty and the shade it gave (it is big) and admired the little pink roses, masses of them every flowering - and then suddenly one day I really looked at it and it seemed dead - brown leaves and worse still in spots leafless dry brittle stems pointing jaggedly at the sky - a little like accusing bony fingers pointing at me and scolding me for its neglect. I mourned the loss and did indeed scold myself for not making sure it had water, for not caring - I know I am busy but I neglected this beautiful plant, I took the pleasure I got from it for granted and I thought it would always be there - it has been for over 10+ years so why would it not for another 10.
Today as I look out, there are new green shoots appearing on many of what I thought were dead branches, and so I give thanks for the small amount of rain we have had, to nature for the strength of this neglected beauty, to my friend for sharing this plant with us. This weekend we will prune back those branches which are no longer viable and then I will continue to enjoy and give thanks as I watch it come back to life.
I wonder if there are other things or people in our lives we take for granted, that we don't give thanks for, and then suddenly they are gone. If it is people - unlike this beautiful rose - they can not come back from the dead. Take time in each day to give thanks for those you love and take the time to tell them of your love - don't take it for granted that they know.