Friday, March 07, 2008
Winter Flowers
Last evening, Andrew and I danced with a group for an assisted-living facility near us. We really enjoy getting together with the dancers from our very first class and sharing our hobby with those who appreciate it. It's a lot of fun.
We were late. I couldn't help but notice on our way there, despite my distracted state, the beautiful winter flowers that are beginning to bloom: bright-faced pansies, jonquils and daffodils in a row, crocus, snowdrops, and forsythia. Okay, I didn't see any snowdrops, but I imagined there must be some.
I thought about our path from home to the assisted-living facility. It's our major pathway to town. During the summer, the road is covered with flowers. I have to say it's a beautiful drive to town in any season.
Honestly, though, during the summer, I can't say that I fawn over each and every flower like I do in the late winter.
In March, it has been months since we've seen live flowers besides potted pointsettias. It's a delight to see the flowers popping up and to know that they mean more are right around the corner. Soon spring will be here.
Yes, even when I'm dressed to dance and enjoying flowers, I'm still thinking about rabbits. And those flowers remind me of the very first successes we have in rabbits. Those successes can be buying our first rabbit, producing our first live litter, placing our first rabbit, earning our first leg, and on and on.
Just like those first flowers are so much more special than even more flowers later on, those "firsts" are thrilling, important, and worth celebrating.
The seasons don't arrive on the same days for everyone. I'm sure that many miles south of us, the flowers have been out for a while (or never went away). Many miles north of us, they are still waiting for their first flowers to come out.
If you are experiencing your first flowers, first wins, first babies, or any other first, take the time to celebrate it. Don't worry that other people with more wins, more babies, more rabbits, or more flowers will think you are silly. If they do, they've just forgotten what it is like.
For those of us who have lots of "firsts" under our belts, we can still enjoy the excitement of firsts by sharing in the joy of others. Please never, ever belittle an accomplishment. Try to remember how it felt the first time you reached into a nest box and felt warm, live babies. Or remember the first time your rabbit was on the Best In Show table and you heard your breed called out.
It would be a shame to save all of your celebration and excitement only for winning Best In Show at Convention. I believe there are a few people who do come away from Convention with a Best of Breed and are still not happy because they didn't get the Best In Show.
It is also a shame to have your parade rained on by comments like "you didn't produce that rabbit," "it's just a junior leg," "when you can do that against some real competition, it will mean something," "that judge doesn't know our breed very well or he wouldn't have picked your rabbit, " and so forth.
How much nice it would be just to respond, "Congratulations! You must be thrilled."
Laurie ¶ 11:09 AM
We were late. I couldn't help but notice on our way there, despite my distracted state, the beautiful winter flowers that are beginning to bloom: bright-faced pansies, jonquils and daffodils in a row, crocus, snowdrops, and forsythia. Okay, I didn't see any snowdrops, but I imagined there must be some.
I thought about our path from home to the assisted-living facility. It's our major pathway to town. During the summer, the road is covered with flowers. I have to say it's a beautiful drive to town in any season.
Honestly, though, during the summer, I can't say that I fawn over each and every flower like I do in the late winter.
In March, it has been months since we've seen live flowers besides potted pointsettias. It's a delight to see the flowers popping up and to know that they mean more are right around the corner. Soon spring will be here.
Yes, even when I'm dressed to dance and enjoying flowers, I'm still thinking about rabbits. And those flowers remind me of the very first successes we have in rabbits. Those successes can be buying our first rabbit, producing our first live litter, placing our first rabbit, earning our first leg, and on and on.
Just like those first flowers are so much more special than even more flowers later on, those "firsts" are thrilling, important, and worth celebrating.
The seasons don't arrive on the same days for everyone. I'm sure that many miles south of us, the flowers have been out for a while (or never went away). Many miles north of us, they are still waiting for their first flowers to come out.
If you are experiencing your first flowers, first wins, first babies, or any other first, take the time to celebrate it. Don't worry that other people with more wins, more babies, more rabbits, or more flowers will think you are silly. If they do, they've just forgotten what it is like.
For those of us who have lots of "firsts" under our belts, we can still enjoy the excitement of firsts by sharing in the joy of others. Please never, ever belittle an accomplishment. Try to remember how it felt the first time you reached into a nest box and felt warm, live babies. Or remember the first time your rabbit was on the Best In Show table and you heard your breed called out.
It would be a shame to save all of your celebration and excitement only for winning Best In Show at Convention. I believe there are a few people who do come away from Convention with a Best of Breed and are still not happy because they didn't get the Best In Show.
It is also a shame to have your parade rained on by comments like "you didn't produce that rabbit," "it's just a junior leg," "when you can do that against some real competition, it will mean something," "that judge doesn't know our breed very well or he wouldn't have picked your rabbit, " and so forth.
How much nice it would be just to respond, "Congratulations! You must be thrilled."
Laurie ¶ 11:09 AM
