The Cactus

There is a cactus flower growing out of the railing on our balcony. When we moved in, I spotted it and, thinking it had crawled up from a potted plant taken away by the previous inhabitant of the space, figured it would not long after shrivel and die. Not so. Not only is the cactus still alive, it has flourished and grown since our arrival.

It’s amazing to me how this simple little flower is growing off only the nutrients it gains from the wood where it is roosting. Another beautiful gift from the balcony cactus is it ties two sections of the balcony together. From a feng shui or symbolic perspective now, instead of being divided, those in this home are united in a beautiful way. Nature has offered a better feng shui adjustment than I could ever have invented.

All this cactus talk makes me think about my own life. What is trying to grow within me, with only a few hairline roots and no soil? There is something about this sweet little, ever expanding yellow-green flower that makes me think of survival. Even though we may not have asked for them, or may neglect them for years, within each of us are talents, dreams and gifts that long to share their blooms with the world.

They wait. And they wait. And they wait, continuing to live off the minute nutrients they can gain from life’s circumstances until we are ready to give them more. If they are anything like this little flower basking in the sun, while they wait, they’re growing and expanding, reaching out to remind us they exist whenever we look their way, eager to show off their beauty and remind us what life can be.