The Dandelion
(May 24, 2007.)
Dandelions remind me of my daughter. Rather than calling them dandelions, she calls them flowers. She picked me a bouquet at the park; she picked me a bouquet at her daycare; she picked me a bouquet in a soccer field. She picks them wherever she goes. I saw dandelions in a new way this Spring thanks to my daughter. Adults smell roses, but she smells dandelions. She inhales them so deeply that she ends up with a yellow moustache. She truly does take the time to smell the "roses". It's amazing how children get such enjoyment from the simple things in life. When I look at a dandelion, I think of picking up my daughter at the daycare and being greeted with a beaming smile and a bouquet of dandelions.
In the Mediterranean countries, locals include dandelions as part of the cuisine in dishes such as soups and salads. They are completely edible and contain a lot of Vitamins A and D. And yet here in North America, we douse them with weed killer. Furthermore, dandelions can be used as a diuretic. The French term for dandelion, "pissenlit", means to wet the bed. Regardless of what you call it, the dandelion is a strong plant that is more useful than I realized.
One dandelion is an eyesore. However, a field of dandelions is quite pretty. Imagine -- they don't even cost a penny and yet they provide children with hours of enjoyment. I am glad that my daughter took the time to stop and pick the dandelions. She reminds me everday of what matters most in life. Most people long for roses, but I prefer dandelions. I will forever see them in a different light, thanks to my daughter. She is my "little dandelion".
Photo below taken from http://www.shutterstock.com/ (copyright BestPhoto1).
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