I’ve been giving great thought as to what exactly I can ‘bring to the table’ in establishing new connections and re-engaging past connections as we all move through this time and space together in uncharted territory. I am not quite ready to start finding employment, as I have this last semester to complete before receiving my Bachelors in Multidisciplinary Studies from Boise State, yet I realize I need to start connecting on a more professional level. Technology and I have not been close intimate friends, as I have been managing my own massage practice and used exactly one P.O.S. system that allowed me to book clients, advertise, keep my books, keep medical records, market to my clients, and I was quite happy with that! However, as lIfe is known to do, it threw us ALL a big curve, and now I will be immersed in all things online to graduate. I am choosing to embrace this, as it is a necessary tool from here on out.
I asked the question, “What Can I Bring To the Social Media Table?” a long thought, and decided to bring positive energy into ways of helping others keep positive, as we all are walking in the dark. I decided to share the pictures and growth of two plants that I am tending to, the Easter Lily and the Peach Pit. I have posted a few, and intend on posting more, sharing different analogies and stories to break up the tension and fear, and hopefully bring hope and comfort along the way. Today, I decided to look up the importance of both, and this is what I have found:
The Easter Lily
The Easter Lily is the traditional flower of Easter and is highly regarded as a joyful symbol of elegance, beauty, spirituality, hope, and life. In Christendom the lily has come to symbolize the resurrection of Jesus because of its delicacy of form and its snow white color.
Every year, on the first Sunday after the first full moon, churches are filled with exquisite Easter lilies. Churches at Easter time grace the altars and surround the cross with Easter lilies, to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This importance rests even more clearly on a legend that the blood of Jesus, as it fell from the cross, was by a miracle transformed into flowers which filled heaven and earth.
The popular Easter lily we use today to celebrate the holiday is referred to as ‘the white-robed apostles of hope.’ These beautiful trumpet shaped white flowers were brought to the United States in 1875 from Japan by an American tourist and named after the florist who made it popular. The flower retells the resurrection story with its life cycle. These snow white flowers symbolize new life and hope.
The bulb of these flowers buried in the ground represents the tomb of Jesus and the glorious white trumpet-like fragrant flowers which grow from the bulbs symbolize His life after death.
The snowy white color stands for the purity of the Divine Savior and the joy of the resurrection while the trumpet shape signifies Gabriel's trumpet call to rebirth and new life.
My Easter lily represents my faith and my family to me, and it is the first time in my life I have actually been able to grow one from a previous Easter, which brings great joy to my soul, as I love the smell of an Easter lily on Easter weekend.
I learned a bit more about this beautiful flower today, and a bit more about its importance. But it is what I learned about the Peach Pit that really shocked me!
The Peach Pit
In China, peaches can symbolize immortality, beauty, and good fortune. The first discovery of fossilized peaches suggests that the fruit evolved through natural selection well before domestication by humans. Scientists found peach pits in the Yangzi River valley dating as far back as 8,000 years ago. It is believed that domestication occurred in China.
I would have never learned this today if I had not made the decision to try to grow this sprouted pit into a tree alongside my Easter Lily! Another amazing fact I found out about peach pits is how they were used to make gas masks in WWI!
Gas masks used in World War One were made as a result of poison gas attacks that took the Allies in the trenches on the Western Front by surprise. Early gas masks were crude as would be expected as no-one had thought that poison gas would ever be used in warfare as the mere thought seemed too shocking. The charcoal was made from natural fibers that were found in various fruit pits/seeds and nut shells.
Human Ingenuity in a great time of need from a little Peach Pit!
My peach pit represents the community at large, and as I share it with you, the global community, it gives me hope that it will grow and sprout as well.
Faith and food. Two necessary ingredients for this life experience. - ms. c.e. hesser
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