Each spring our entire neighborhood comes into full bloom with azaleas. Pinks and reds and whites cover entire streets and houses.

And as quickly as they come, they’re gone.

My tendency is to not like them simply because their flowering is short. But the more I consider it, this is a terrible way to think.

Why would I discount something beautiful simply because its season is brief?

I don’t treat vacations this way, or a delicious dinner at a new restaurant, or that sweet newborn smell.

They give us incredible color for a few short weeks, and promise to do it again the next year.

An annual reminder that there is immense beauty even in things that are temporary.

I have much to learn from azaleas.

PS- I wrote a poem ????????

A Lesson from the Azaleas

Each spring brings their bloom,
Neighborhood ablaze with light,
Pinks and reds dispel cold gloom,
But swiftly they retreat from sight.

Why won’t the flowers stay?
Their short season frustrates me.
But is it right to think this way?
Not so for vacations by the sea.

So I’ll cherish the petals so brief,
The same way a newborn smells,
Their annual reminder has much to teach,
Immense beauty with which heaven swells.