Concrete Rose

Did you think that the rose that grew from concrete would arrive free of abrasions, battle scars and thorns? Is it fair to judge the beauty and worth of this rare rose against the softness and beauty of the roses grown in the care of a well maintained garden? Each thorn, scar and abrasion found on the petals and stem of the concrete grown rose tells a story, a story of strength, a story of survival, a story of resilience, the story of a will to exist even when all odds were against it. The rose from concrete may on first sight seem difficult to love as it does not fit into the bouquet of twelve with the aesthetically pleasing roses from the well maintained garden, so its existence lacks value from a superficial outlook. But when given the time, care, love and appropriate nurture, this special rose will flourish and survive any and all storms that it faces while the garden grown rose succumbs to conditions not conducive to its survival. The rose from concrete may prick your finger and bruise your eye from its appearance, but the love that it gives and the growth that will occur when a gentle soul views its scars as a sign of strength and resilience as being just as valuable as the aesthetics of the well- maintained garden rose will be unlike any other love one has ever known. As teachers we must nurture and see the wonder in all of our students and keep our eyes open for those little roses that are growing through concrete. Those little roses that make us work a little harder, those roses that seem resistant to affection, those roses that are screaming to be loved through actions contradicting their needs. Love all of your little roses whether garden or concrete grown