Why Life is like Violets

The violets have started blooming, as have the daffodils.

Don't get me wrong--I like the daffodils, with their bright rays of sunshine heralding spring amidst a world that still seems a little dubious at times (like snowing all day Friday).

But I really love violets.  I remember even when I was a very little girl getting excited when I found violets in the backyard.  They're tiny, simple flowers, but beautiful in their own right.  You would miss seeing them completely if you weren't looking or didn't keep your eyes open, because they are really just little flecks of purple hidden in the greening grass.  But if you do keep your eyes open, they too are forerunners of spring.  They are small and ordinary but very lovely whenever in bloom, and particularly exciting to find in the first chilly weeks of spring.

Daffodils are impossible to miss--I saw them blooming along the road today and couldn't help but be glad.

But violets, I think, are more like life.  There are nearly always tiny moments of beauty, small things that bring joy and pleasure, hidden throughout everyday existence.  It is easy to walk over them and never know; to pass through a field full of them but be too consumed with my own thoughts, worries, and tasks that I miss them altogether.  It takes keeping your eyes open, paying attention where you step, being willing to be surprised by moments of beauty in the everyday and find joy in the small, simple things.

The little things are important, too, even if they aren't so obvious.  Did you know, for instance, that the common violet is the Illinois state flower?  It's on the state website.

So keep your eyes open and enjoy the blooming of violets in spring :).