Maielle suddenly stops riding her tricycle and gingerly hops off to bend down and inspect something. As I come closer I realize she is mesmerized by a bright, yellow dandelion. Using her index finger she knocks it back and forth a few times and then plucks it from its home.
To a three year old, the yellow dandelion is a prize to be given as a gift. As an adult, I know it’s an unwanted weed in their lawn and if left to become floating seeds it will produce more weeds. But her indiscriminate little mind and heart sees it only as a flower to be included in the gift bouquet. I gratefully receive it as such and gush over its beauty.
Jesus said that “Unless you become as little children you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Little children are innocent and indiscriminate. They see things differently and willingly accept things at face value. To them a dandelion is a flower not a weed. It’s beautiful, acceptable, and valuable as a gift.
If only we could become as little three year old Maielle and see ourselves through a child’s eyes – beautiful, acceptable, and valuable. Worthy to be chosen and included in the bouquet of life, we would live our lives in the moment rather than through the discriminate lens of comparing, judging and needing constant improvement.
Rather than thinking that we will be happy when we lose that twenty pounds, melt the cellulose, tighten the tummy or get thicker hair; what if we could accept the gift of who we are, as we are, and treat ourselves with kindness, honor and love?
What if we could accept that we were made to be the dandelion instead of the rose or orchid which need so much tender loving care? That some of us are a weed and its okay to be a weed because we’re fulfilling our purpose of attracting ladybugs and providing early spring pollen for their food. As a dandelion our long roots aerate the soil which causes us to have more minerals for the lawn when we die? Or that as a dandelion we’re rich in beta carotene, vitamin C and A. Or, that our name means “official remedy for disorders” so that when we’re eaten we make people more healthy? Is that enough of a purpose?
If we live our lives comparing and always wanting to be something we are not, we will not be happy. We will not enjoy the moments and we will waste our time and energy striving to be something we are not.
“You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14) What is it to us if we are a dandelion that serves a practical purpose or a rose that serves as decoration? We are alive – let’s accept who we are and get on with living our life to the fullest here and now before the mist vanishes. Let’s rejoice with dandelion delight!
