As long as I can remember, tulips have been my favorite flower. When I started drawing again, just recently, a single tulip was one I practiced and I was very disappointed in how it turned out. It started me thinking about the tulip and why I am so attracted to it.

After all, tulips are nothing super spectacular. They’re rather simple looking if you compare them to an ornate flower like the chrysanthemum, for example. Tulips have no fragrance. And they don’t last long. Once cut and put in a vase, you’re lucky to get 2-3 days of them lasting before they start to wilt and their pedals start falling off.

Klaus bought me these flowers yesterday and I put them in a vase with water last night. When I woke up this morning (this picture), I was awestruck by their elegant beauty. The way they just fell into place. Try as I might, I couldn’t have arranged that myself. I thought, also, THIS is what I love about them. In a simple bouquet, after a night of adjusting to their new environment, they adjusted and provided this gorgeous display.

When I looked into the tulip’s meaning or symbolism, they represent deep love and perfection. Furthermore, they are one of the first flowers to bloom in spring (late winter) and this is taken as a meaning of rebirth and starting afresh. I’ve discussed before how springtime has been so significant in major changes in my life. Without planning to do so, I have made most of my life changing decisions during the spring. And most of which followed suit after losses or tragedies in my life.

During my meditation practice today it was about stories or narratives we tell ourselves. A lot of which can be very negative self-talk. Since my blog post 2 days ago about feeling like a punching bag, I’ve been doing a bit of the negative self-talk and when asked during this practice what it is that is repeating in my head, I was reminded of the fact that one of my biggest fears is I have the appearance of being fragile or weak. What keeps me going is providing what I hope is strength for others. That my family and friends know that I am someone they can depend on. I am that rock, not that fragile, short-lived, tulip. The rock that is solid and has the staying power. Not something that only is around a few moments, then disappears when the going gets tough.

But are tulips only around a few moments? Do they only show up momentarily, flash their outward beauty, then disappear when the going gets tough? I don’t think so. Not only do they symbolize unconditional love, but the representation of rebirth and starting afresh. Unconditional love is not tangible. I cannot draw it. I only know it is there. Just as when the tulip wilts and eventually dies, another tulip is developing. In the spring, after enduring the harsh winter, the tulip rises again, symbolizing new beginnings. That while they may appear to only provide a few moments of beauty, their unconditional love is eternal.