The Dandilion Perspective

Since the weather is getting warmer, the kids and I are spending more time playing outside, going on walks, and loving the sunshine.

Recently, Landon has entered a phase where he likes to bring me "flowers". These flowers are also known as dandelions.

Dandelions aren't a flower. They're a weed.

But, I try to graciously receive yellow bud after yellow bud and thank him over and over, as if each one is even more lovelier than the one before it.

Because to my son, they are.

And quite frankly, if Landon were to walk up to me with a bouquet of roses, I don't know that I'd appreciate it as much as his little fingers carefully picking out the perfect dandelion for his mamma. He walks over, with dirt under his fingernails from playing outside, grass stains on the knees of his jeans, and the perfectly plucked dandelion held gently between his little fingers. He watches the flower as he runs toward me, careful to protect it. Because it's important to him to give it to me.

And I treasure them.

Because it's not really about the flower.

To my boy, that is the prettiest thing he can find, and when he sees them, he thinks of me. My son, in his humble and noble effort to be kind, gave it to me with the purpose of making me happy.

Sometimes, our "best" doesn't look quite as beautiful as the next person's "best". Sometimes, we offer up our "dandelions" while it seems that the people around us are carrying bouquets of roses.

Sometimes, we see a dandelion and we think: Average. Lacking creativity. One among too many to be important. A nuisance. 
But someone else might see that dandelion and think: Lovely. Bright. Endearing. Brings happiness. Worthy of protecting. Something to treasure. Meaningful.

Who's to say who is right?

One day, he'll stop picking them for me. And I will miss it. But I will remember what that dandelion signifies to me.

That I might not always look, be or amount to what I want to. I might feel average, lacking, one among too many to be important, or a nuisance. 
But I can still choose to be lovely, bright, endearing, happy, be worthy of protecting, treasured. I can still choose to mean something. 

And for the rest of my life, whenever I see a dandelion, I'll think of them as less of a nuisance. I'll reminder that to someone, maybe even someone as kind, funny, sweet and gentle as my son, they're the prettiest flower in the world.