Sunday, March 27, 2011

A passionate thought for today

In the grand scheme of important issues - God, family and country - I wonder where roses fit. I briefly ponder this question occasionally, somewhat afraid of the answer, somewhat aware that roses may be too uppermost in my scheme of things. Perhaps it's the depth and breadth of this passion of mine that unnerves me, being only the second passion I have ever known (not counting DH). Is this what I was born for such a long time ago? Am I supposed to be this passionate about roses? Or have I gone off the deep end way too far, moving the axis of my world off center and my equilibrium along with it? Or is this what life is supposed to be rather than the bland, vague slippage that life sometimes eases into, blindsiding the liver of that life in the final moments.

Wait a minute, self. Let's step back from the edge of doubt and confusion a bit. Passion and rational thought are not mutually exclusive, after all. Protection and promotion of life in all of its beautiful parts is an honorable thing, probably even an obligation. Perhaps passions are just the individual's particular part in the grand plan of protecting and promoting life as a whole.  Maybe some of us focus like a laser beam on one tiny aspect of life and some focus like a lightning flash on the whole of life. We're all the same and different, all gifted but not all with the same gift. Reminds me of 1 Corinthians 12 .

The onset of passions can be peculiar, too. Some seem to be passionate about a thing from birth, and others are struck out of the blue and set on a new path entirely. The latter is me and, I think, is the discombobulating part.  The sudden compulsion to have dozens of roses, an unknown commodity theretofore, and the immense drive to incorporate them into my tiny yard by hook or by crook was only the initial manifestation of the passion. Now there is the longing for others to know the beauty and suitability of these roses. And so I take photographs seemingly without number and publish them to this worldwide web to make them known, to call to the world and open its eyes to this wondrous, blooming creation, the wonder being in its self-sufficiency and self-perpetuation in a friendly environment. There's a sort of "build it, and they will come" aspect to these old roses, a mystical impulse toward bringing awesome beauty to warm-climate landscapes everywhere.

Perhaps it sounds a little too earthshaking to some of you, but what is is. Now you know better the motivation of my heart, and I think I do, too, but one thing it is not. It is not in any way an attempt to con or dupe anyone or to lure you into an uncontrollable buying frenzy. The paradox is that one beautiful rose bush can inspire as much as one hundred. 

9 comments:

  1. Sherry ~ This was a beautiful post written from your heart. Someone told me many, many years ago that roses do NOT grow in FL. Soon after I bought Louis Philippe and Pink Pet at a local flea market, and I've been hooked on roses ever since. I did buy some from HD that just didn't like our area, then found out about the Old Garden roses and oh my gosh, I really fell in love. I've been doing this on a shoestring, and the past two years the shoestring has almost frayed, so that there is no buying more roses to add to my collection, and I've lost a few too, which is always heartbreaking. But, I've been taking cuttings of what I have in hopes that they'll root, and some have and that is thrilling and the new plants are basically FREE.

    It can become an addiction and maybe that's where we have to draw a line. In eternity, I will have a magnificent garden filled with all kinds of lovely plants, with lots of roses and more roses too.

    If all we knew and had was one rose, we would be extremely happy and fortunate. Right now, I want to learn contentment with what is growing here in my humble gardens. I am blessed.

    Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady (another rose lover)

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  2. Well....at least God, family, roses, and country. And some days the middle two are tied. :)

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  3. I think there shouldn't be any excuses or reasons for loving something beautiful although I have to say that I also sometimes wonder if my rose collection is too much of an indulgence. I am glad I am not alone. Enjoy your roses!

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  4. A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Those who create beauty, in turn create joy, and a lasting moment in time. These passions which you are speaking are creation. Creative people, whether it be in a rose garden, or at a canvas, or with marble or a drafting board, feel compelled into their passions. Celebrate them. Do not ever feel that they are wrong, or a little crazy, or anything of that sort. The greatest achievements were brought about by what people have done with their passions. They are our way of making our world better (internally), and by doing so, making the world around us better as well.

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  5. This is a good question and I appreciate your thoughtful engagement. It reminded me of a question I once heard asked by a church consultant to a group of United Methodist Bishops. He asked, “Are you still teaching your pastors to commit adultery?” They were shocked by the question and when they could finally answer, one said, “We don’t teach our pastors to commit adultery, what do you mean?” He said, “I was just wondering if you were still teaching them to love the church more than their spouses.” I think it is good to be passionate about good things (roses and the church included) but if they take over or negatively affect things in our life like, family, economics, or time for other good things then the good becomes negative. That a person engages in such conversations might reveal that they might be feeling the bind at times and that they are also being intentional about how they live their lives. There are those, like Ralph Moore, whose passion with roses was his job and merits a level of devotion that is certainly different than mine where it is a hobby. For me to devote that much time to all activities with roses would be detrimental to my vocation and then eventually to my love of roses. The balance has to lie somewhere in there.

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  6. I think I feel the way you do about roses about gardening in general. I think because there is so much you can get from your garden whether it's roses or some other type of plant. The time I spend out working in my garden is when I do my best thinking about things. And I feel the same way about sharing my garden on my blog, I hope (and know) other will get the same enjoyment that I do from it.
    I love reading about your roses, most I've never heard of before. I've learned a lot from you. I would love to have space for more roses one day, until then I have to figure out places to wedge in more :)

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  7. Sherry, I think it's all about the intention to share your happiness, and that is a good thing. I love looking at your rose photos. What is there not to like -- and to be grateful for?

    -- Penny

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  8. Sherry, God made these beautiful things for us to appreciate and enjoy.
    I think waking up in the morning and truly being grateful for how beautiful the world is around you is a very good thing. Part of why I believe in God is because of how BEAUTIFUL the world is.

    I tend to move from passion to passion, some stay, some wane, but I always get interested enough in them, and post enough information (and drawings or photos) of my interest that it ends up introducing other people to the thing I'm interested in (which is usually not entirely mainstream...) I think this is good, too.

    As long as your passion doesn't come before the most important things, like a job, health, family, etc...or reach you from reaching important goals. I don't see the trouble in it.

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  9. Hi Sherry...I always enjoy seeing all of your beautiful roses. It's such a perfect time of the year for them with their nice big flowers. Roses are definitely your passion as they are blooming beautifully for you. I can't wait to see red cascade...with all those buds it should be a sight. I just planted a couple of Drift roses...do you have any of them?

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