The Legion of Blooms

These pictures I took last Sunday at the Minnetrista Cultural Center gardens help to remind me of the uniqueness and beauty contained in each of us.

And that beauty is at its most powerful, most real, most visible when we embrace who we are, fully and without judgment, without fear.

It is something I have had to learn, living for so long surrounded by those who wanted their version of me.  Never allowed to even explore what my version might be.

And now, slowly and only recently, I am putting that together.  The result?  Acceptance and appreciation of myself and who I am.

And confusion at those in my life who allow fear to limit their ability to see it.  Going forward without them, hoping one day they catch up.

For it is certainly time to bloom.

And to those of you reading this that have helped me realize this, there is a flower representing each of you above, my Legion of Blooms.  Some of you know how much you mean to me, some are starting to discover it.  The comments I leave you, the words spoken and emailed, those are me being me, and you appreciating that never stops amazing me.  So thank you, deeply.

And because this post made me a bit teary...you are all the beautiful flowers above, and I am happy Mr. Turtle, head in the clouds, waiting for rain he is eternally hopeful will come.