The Audacity to Bloom

I have had a real bad case of the "supposed to's" lately. All I have been able to think about is all the "supposed to's" that need my attention. Well, the supposed to's are the WORST - followed closely by the "not supposed to's".

I have been harassed relentlessly, especially since becoming a mother, by the "supposed to's".

"You are supposed to make dinner every night... and enjoy it!"

"You are supposed to make sure your kids eat vegetables... and enjoy them!"

"Socks are supposed to match!"

"Laundry is supposed to be folded... and put away!"

"You are supposed to volunteer your time!"

"You are supposed to stick to the budget!"

"You are supposed to exercise... everyday!"

"You are supposed to be happy!"

"You are supposed to plant a garden in the spring!"

"You are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day!"

"You are supposed to pick your son up from preschool!.... Oh, wait.... I really do need to do that... be right back...

Crisis averted! Back to the point of this: every day for the past week, on my way in the front door, I am greeted by a multitude of orangy-pink blossoms. I don't exactly know why, but my roses bloomed at least twice as big as they did last year and they started blooming earlier than they are "supposed to". But the roses don't care about what they are "supposed to" do. They had the audacity to decide that it is spring and go ahead and dazzle us with the biggest blooms they could make.

Those roses have stopped me in my tracks for days now - in the middle of my trekking back and forth, doing things I'm supposed to - to admire their audacity. They are unaffected by my expectations - they don't even care that I am impressed with them - they just bloomed. They stop me in my tracks and call my spirit to bloom, too, in its own bodacious way, and let go of all the "supposed tos".