Pink Lady’s Slipper
On the last Friday of May, I hiked the trail not too far from here. The forest was feisty that day. Plants, animals, and insects came out to watch all the people on the trails. I took a shortcut off the marked trail. A pinkish purple popped against a backdrop of brown and green. I take a few more steps off the trail.
Look! There’s another one!
Wild orchids in full blossom; the flower is named “Pink Lady’s Slipper”.
You’re unlikely to find her at your local nursery. She thrives best in her natural environment. A flower unwilling to be tamed, this orchid is very sensitive to the PH of the soil.
Ha! Nature…
Slowly, I approached her…and watched. I kneeled down in front of the flower. Up close, I grinned. I leaned in to smell her perfume and remained close to snap her portrait.
The impression left by this Orchid remains with me to this day. This flower told me a story without words. That story transformed the complexion of love.
The cold, pale colors of possession became flush with rich deep tones of appreciation. Before her, I would see something beautiful or unique and would instantly want to take it without pause…
I would have plucked this flower.
I would have assisted in the extinction of its unique beauty. This flower only produces pollen, no nectar — so not many of them are pollinated by bees. The few that are pollinated spawn tons of seeds that need special conditions (PH, fungi, peat-like soil, etc.) to sprout and grow.
She is distinct!
Pink Lady’s Slipper exemplifies the essence of love. Possession will kill the thing I say I have affection for.
With appreciation, I stand where I am, “complete” and in awe of the beauty being witnessed, allowing that beautiful thing to exist as it is, without the need to cut it from its root to ensure it’s mine. I’m fed by witnessing her thrive.
This Orchid shows me a truer meaning of the word “love” 💚:
Love itself is all the same…
It’s only boundaries that differ.
