"Dandy
Lions"
By
Vickie G. Paver
In many gardening
circles today the dandelion is considered an undesirable. They even
have sprays to rid lawns of this so called dreaded pest. To many
gardeners horror though I will never spray my lawn to rid it of
dandelions and will always look on "Dandy Lions" with
delight.
Some of this thinking
comes from my childhood years, when my mom and dad would pick
dandelion greens to cook as a main "vegetable" that could
grace any particular evening meal. We would add butter, vinegar and
salt and pepper and then gobble them like we had just been given some
kind of treat. Also, my mother received many dandelion bouquets, which
she promptly put in water in Mason jars.. I grew up
thinking dandelions are special. And in all these years I haven't
changed my mind. When my grandchildren, faces beaming with delight,
present me with a handful of these "posies" it is like
receiving a burst of sunshine. As children they see the beauty in the
golden mane posies and the first thought in their little minds is a
"perfect gift" for someone they love. So when I am given a
bouquet of dandelions, I am being given a bouquet of love.
Dandelions have many
wonderful characteristics---much to the delight of many children is
the fact that no matter how many times they are mowed down they STILL
come back. They pop their lovely golden manes high above the freshly
mowed grass within a day or so. They are persistent in coming back
each and every time! Plus dandelions are colorful and seem almost
joyful as they fill their place in life. They seem to have the
attitude "bloom where you're planted!" And the wind has
planted them in many odd places, such as in the cracks in sidewalks,
on hill tops, in ditches and under grandma's porch where it is dark.
And--they bloom in these places too! Gardeners plant many different
kind of flowers, such as, roses, petunias, verbena, pansies, mums, and
many other kinds. Even though I haven't heard of gardeners planting
dandelions I still think they have a beauty of their own and are
charming and resilient. Kind of like some people in this life.
When I look at people
all around me---I see many types of "flower personalities,"
dandelions, roses, viola, petunias and many other types. They each
have their own special qualities. I especially love dandelion people
though because they add splashes of sunshine no matter where they are
planted by the good Lord---whether faithfully plodding along as a
church janitor, helping in the church nursery, visiting the aged in
nursing homes, helping a neighbor with her car or mowing someone's
lawn. They never fail to bloom---and pop up in places where not all
other people would bloom. When you are going through some of life's
most awful circumstances, dandelion personalities stand by you. Pain
doesn't prohibit them from sticking around---. They are ordinary
people, doing ordinary jobs for other ordinary people in this life.
Without these "dandy" "lions" would be quite
drab.
So whether you are a
"dandelion," personality or a "rose" personality,
just remember God knew what He was doing when He made each of us
different.. Don't ever lament and think you want to be someone else.
Trust me! You don't! Bloom where you are planted and spread a little
cheer. Praise God for who you are and where He planted you. Remember
we all are significant in God's eyes.
