From "Lion's Mouth" To The "Great Wide Somewhere"

I was walking out of Macy's at the Mills when I saw it. I was ecstatic! Here we are sporting our winter coats because the weather called for snow and dwelling in the grassy parking lot island was this dandelion. One lonesome dandelion in perfect condition. The wind was something fierce today, too. Yet there it stood...unaffected by the world around it.

Laugh if you must, but dandelions are my favorite flower. I know, they are nature's beautiful yellow garbage, but I love them. I've never really minded having them in the yard. It reminded me of a fun, summery-spring day. I knew that if I waited long enough, I could make a wish and send the seeds flying into the air. It wasn't until I read "The Cowboy Next Door" that I found a new appreciation for them. At one point in the story, Jay finds Lacey weeding her yard. That is, except for the dandelions. When he points out the ones she has missed, she tells them how special they are to her. They are strong, stubborn plants that have their roots dug in deep. Sooner or later, though, they become to fragile in their current place that they must set off into the wind wherever it may lead. Of course I am paraphrasing and summarizing, but you get the idea. The dandelion metaphor spoke directly about Lacey's life. I'm learning it also applies to my life, especially now. I am beside myself trying to figure out what I am supposed to do with my life. That's no secret. I'm caught between that sunshine-y yellow blossom and that fragile nest of seeds waiting to be set free. While I know I'm still growing and learning and trying to find myself, I know that a time will come for me to close my eyes, make a wish, and set myself free.

Have you ever tried to pick a dandelion? It seems no matter where you choose to pick it from (blossom, stem, etc) you always break the stem. I've had to use a lot of muscle to actually pull a dandelion out of the ground by its roots. It has a strong foundation for such a little flower. Dandelion is French, meaning "lion's mouth"...coincidence?

My favorite Disney princess story (and my favorite lyric from the entire movie) has a scene where the main character is running through the field singing "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell..." After this line, she settles into a patch of dandelions and blows the seeds into the air. It's a metaphor! While this girl was proud of where she came from and loved the people who made her life complete, she knew she was meant to go places. And that she did.

Since reading "The Cowboy Next Door", my background on my phone, myspace, and twitter page have all had the same background. It is a mason jar full of dandelions, the kind waiting to be set free. (I have a thing with mason jars!) I also have a picture I took of a dandelion in my driveway. Our driveway is pretty long and this was the ONLY one in the driveway summer before last. I took a picture of it. They are constant reminders of how life compares to a dandelion. We need strong roots to remind ourselves if someone tries to break us, we know where we stand. We need to wait for our time to be released into the great wide somewhere.