When tulips bloom, the splashes of red stand out.

When tulips bloom, they bend and sway and move together in a type of floral bouquet, perfectly arranged, effortlessly displayed.

When tulips bloom, we get to see the beauty of what’s been growing for most of the year.

The bulb has been buried, in the dark, and out of view for not just one month, or two. No, for most of the year, the bulb stays hidden.

But hidden doesn’t mean unproductive. Nope. It doesn’t mean unproductive at all.

Because in the quiet, in the dark, in the isolation, well, that little tulip bulb is getting ready…ready for the bloom. It takes time. It takes Design. It takes not digging that tulip up prematurely.  No, with the tulip, as with so many many good things in life, well, those good things take t     i     m    e.    Lots of time and waiting and patience.

And then one day, it emerges. The tiny little green sprout breaks through the surface of the dark soil and peeks on out. What took so long to appear, then grows quickly and reaches up toward the sun and grows and grows and grows.

Then one day…..one day….it blooms.

It beautifully blooms.

And we all get to see it, this beautiful splash of red that shows up from seemingly out of nowhere. But we know, it’s not from out of nowhere. It’s been there all along, gaining nutrition, getting stronger, to one day be ready to support the bloom—the beautiful red bloom.

So, if you ever feel like you’re in the dark, in isolation, in a period of waiting (and in this period of COVID-19,  I think we all feel a bit like that…). Well, I just want to remind  you to remember the tulip. Remember the waiting  and that good things can go on in the quiet where no one sees. We can all grow….and then when it’s time for us to finally emerge and peek out of our homes again, well, maybe we will have all prepared to beautifully bloom in our own little way.

Just a thought as I admired the tulips blooming in the front yard.

Blessings ~

Heather