A Lesson From Nature

When I visited my sister, Helen, in the San Francisco Bay Area this past June, she had a Night Blooming Cereus plant on the landing of her stairs with one gorgeous bloom. I had never seen one before and she told me that the flower would be gone by the next morning. When I woke up the next morning, sure enough the bloom was there but wilted and dead.

The Night-blooming cereus is the common name referring to a large number of flowering cacti that bloom at night. The flowers are short lived, and some of these species bloom only once a year, for a single night..The night-blooming cereus is also referred to as princess of the night and queen of the night. The plant without the flowers is not that beautiful. Without the flower, you might not even notice it.

My sister felt that the flower with its short life is a way to tell us that we should live the best each day and appreciate each day. Live for the present or even live for the moment. Ironically, my visit coincided with the passing of our young nephew. The next day my sister and I were traveling to see our older sister, the mother of our precious nephew and attend the funeral. Our nephew had not feeling well so his parents took him to the hospital. Within three weeks he was gone. His passing was totally unexpected. Life is beautiful yet fragile like the night-blooming cereus flower..

My sister, Helen's night-blooming cereus in bloom.

Throughout history, philosophers, religions, religious leaders , great minds and authors, have written about the importance of living for each day. We never really know how long each of us will “bloom”.

“With the past I have nothing nor with the future. I live now.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“ Forever is composed of nows.” - Emily Dickinson

Even Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now, is all about becoming enlightened to live in the NOW

“ Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery. And today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.” -Alice More Earle