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<\/p>\nI saw a flower one morning growing out of a crack in the sidewalk. It was a remarkable sight. The flower was perfect. A little, winsome petunia. Somehow it had sprung forth from a seed that had fallen in a crack between the sidewalk and the granite curb. The flower could hardly be in a more precarious spot. Obviously, it would not be long before the flower was trampled or mowed down. The flower was such an instance of accidental and not-for-long beauty that I had to stop and admire it on my way to the train.<\/p>\n
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The little boy in me wanted to save it somehow. The adult in me knew I had to let it go. Part of growing up is accepting you can’t save all the at risk petunias you come across in this world. Still, I wished I could just save that moment.\u00a0\u00a0 I took a picture and then caught the train to work. I wondered how long the flower would survive and whether I would see it again.\u00a0\u00a0 Then I put it out of my mind as I became preoccupied with the worries of the day.<\/p>\n
Getting off the train that evening, I remembered the little flower and wondered if it survived the day.\u00a0 I decided to check on it on the walk home.\u00a0 With great suspense and expectation I rounded the corner of the street where the petunia had sprouted and there it was. The little flower had survived another day. I went home happy.<\/p>\n
A few days passed before I had the opportunity to check on the flower again. Unfortunately and not surprisingly, it was gone.\u00a0 I felt just a slight touch of sadness because I knew this outcome was inevitable. Still, I was glad I had learned an important life lesson before I crossed paths with that little petunia:<\/p>\n
Transient and fragile beauty must be appreciated in the moment.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2019 Christopher Donahue<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I saw a flower one morning growing out of a crack in the sidewalk. It was a remarkable sight. The flower was perfect. A little, winsome petunia. Somehow it had sprung forth from a seed that had fallen in a … Continue reading