Knock Out Roses

Last summer, I was lucky enough to travel to my home state of MI for a business trip in Detroit. After the work was complete, I stayed in MI for a few extra days and trekked to the West side of the state to visit family. My step-Dad has a green thumb (and my Dad, too, for that matter), and I love to stroll through my Mom and step-Dad’s garden every time I am home for a visit during the pleasant-weather months. Now that I have a house and a yard of my own, I like to learn from my parents and get gardening inspiration.

My step-Dad saves the labels from the plants in his garden. It was fun to sift through them and learn about the soil, light, pruning, fertilizing and watering preferences of different flowers, plants, bushes and trees.

On this particular trip, I admired the rose bushes. L, my step-dad, explained that the variety of rose planted in their yard is a Knock Out Rose, which is a picturesque, low maintenance, and easy-to-care for breed of rose bush.

I don’t know why they are named Knock Out Roses. Maybe it’s because they are beautiful. Maybe it’s because no matter how much they are “knocked about”, or inadvertently get neglected, they tend to be hearty and resilient. As long as these beautiful buds have plentiful sunshine, they can thrive. I think that signals a lesson we can all learn from this pretty plant. As long was we practice gratitude and focus on the sunshine instead of dwelling in the gloom and gray of life, perhaps that’s all that we need to thrive. And no matter what, we, are resilient!

Knock out roses from my mom and step-Dad’s garden. Nature is full of life lessons. Stop and smell the roses. And when you get knocked down…remember to look up!