The Christmas Rose

All is quiet in my patio garden. It is intermission time. The gathering of wooden chairs sits empty. Flower beds are covered with a blessing of soft, brown pine needles from pine trees outside the fence. Evergreen autumn ferns bend to the ground, waiting for spring; but, in the corner under the dogwood tree, the Christmas Rose has declared – let the show begin!

 The plant begins blooming in December. Unlike its cousin – the Lenten Rose with its shy drooping blooms – the flowers of the Christmas Rose resemble bold shrub roses. Their strong blooms on short, strong stems defy the weight of winter’s snow. The pure white flowers are often buried in snow, but the plant is undeterred. As the snow melts, those plucky flowers stand upright again.

 Whenever I feel life’s challenges overwhelming me, I try to remember the resilience of the Christmas Rose – standing tall once again in the melting snow.