“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change,” Buddha once said.
Oftentimes, life is compared to that of a rose. It has two compelling attributes: beautiful petals and unwanted thorns. “A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom,” said a Chinese proverb.
“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose,” poet Kahlil Gibran wrote. Tom Wilson, in a Ziggy comic strip, observed, “You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”
“But he that dares not grasp the thorn,” Anne Bronte advises, “should never crave the rose.” A Persian proverb said it in a different manner: “He who wants a rose must respect the thorn.”
“The sharp thorn often produces delicate roses,” Ovid reminded. If you don’t believe, ask any gardener. “He or she understands that the strongest and most productive plants aren’t grown in the hothouse but amid the harsh extremes of real life,” explained the late Dr. Samuel Farina. “People are a lot like plants. We bloom best when under stress. We rise to a challenge and grow stronger through adversity.”
The expression “life is a bed of roses” signifies that life is simple, comfortable, and devoid of challenges or struggles. It conveys a notion of a highly enjoyable life, indicating that everything is proceeding without any issues. Nevertheless, it is frequently employed in contrast to the truth that life can be difficult and necessitates effort to overcome hurdles.
In her childhood, Mary Groda was unable to read or write. American specialists deemed her retarded. During her teenage years, she acquired an additional label, “incorrigible,” which led to a two-year sentence in a reformatory. Ironically, it was in this confined environment that Mary, rising to the challenge of learning, dedicated herself to her studies for up to 16 hours each day. Her diligence bore fruit, culminating in her receipt of a high school diploma.
However, further misfortune awaited her. After her release from the reformatory, she became pregnant and found herself alone in raising her child. Two years later, a second pregnancy resulted in a stroke that wiped out her hard-won abilities to read and write. With her father’s assistance and encouragement, Mary fought to reclaim what she had lost.
Facing severe financial difficulties, Mary resorted to welfare. Ultimately, to support herself, she took in seven foster children. It was during this time that she began enrolling in courses at a community college. After completing her studies, she applied to and was accepted into Albany Medical School to pursue a career in medicine.
According to a news report from the Associated Press, this is what transpired: “In the spring of 1984 in Oregon, Mary Groda Lewis – now married – walked across the graduation stage adorned in full academic regalia. No one can truly know the private reflections that crossed Mary’s mind as she reached out to take hold of this eloquent symbol of her self-belief and perseverance, her diploma, which proclaimed to the world: Here stands on this small point of Planet Earth a person who dared to dream the impossible dream, a person who affirms for all of us our human divineness. Here stands Mary Groda Lewis, M.D.”
Life is an ongoing struggle. Each day presents us with challenges and triumphs. It may be bright and sunny today, but one can never predict if rain will come tomorrow. A Turkish proverb wisely states, “Thorns and roses grow on the same tree.”
Like marriage, life is not “a bed of roses,” to quote the words of Robert Louis Stevenson. “If your life is not a bed of roses, then take heart,” suggests Dr. Farina. “Find success and satisfaction in the midst of stress and struggle!”
“When the going gets tough, the weak get going,” someone once said. That’s the basic root of failure – the inability to “tough it out.” You should consider tough times as a way to prove to yourself that you can make it no matter how.
“But there is suffering in life, and there are defeats,” said Paulo Coelho. No one can avoid them. But it’s better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you’re fighting for.”
In 1962, four young American women wanted to start a professional singing career. They started performing in their church and doing small concerts. Then came their time to cut the record. It was a flop. Later, another record was recorded. The sales were a fiasco. The third, fourth, fifth and on through their ninth recordings were all failures.
Early in 1964, they were booked for The Dick Clark Show. He barely paid enough to meet expenses and no great contracts resulted from their national exposure. Later that summer, they recorded “Where Did Our Love Go?” This song raced to the top of the charts, and Diana Ross and the Supremes gained national recognition and prominence as a musical sensation.
No matter what, don’t stop trying. Winners never quit; quitters never win. If you fail, try and try again – until you get there.
“It is a mistake to suppose that men succeed through success; they much more often succeed through failures,” Samuel Smiles pointed out. “Precept, study, advice, and example could never have taught them so well as failure has done.”
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