Little Rose Marie and Her Fear of Withering
A Poetic Story by Hana about the Quiet Fear of Impermanence in the Natural Cycle of Life
In a lush garden where the morning sun makes the dew sparkle on the petals,
grows a little rose named Rose Marie.
While her neighbors — tulips, gladioli, and sunflowers —
joyfully stretch their heads into the warm air,
Rose Marie keeps her buds tightly closed.
“Why don’t you bloom, Rose Marie?”
asks Sonja, the sunflower growing beside her.
“The sun is shining so beautifully,
and everyone in the garden reaches toward it.”
Rose Marie hesitates for a moment before answering,
“I’m afraid, Sonja.
What if I bloom and then wither right away?
What if my life ends as soon as I bloom?
I see others wither, and that frightens me.”
Sonja gently sways in the wind and laughs softly.
“But Rose Marie, blooming is the most beautiful part of our lives.
We can enrich the world with our beauty,
and even if we wither, we give something back to the earth that nourishes new life.”
Rose Marie remains uncertain,
and her doubts do not dissolve in the warm air.
One day, gardener Greta comes to check on the plants.
She immediately notices Rose Marie’s closed buds.
“Rose Marie, why do you hold back?”
Greta asks gently, checking her leaves.
“I fear the end, Greta,” whispers Rose Marie.
“I fear what comes after blooming.
I don’t want to fade away.”
Greta crouches down to be closer and says lovingly:
“Rose Marie, every fading leads to a new beginning.
Not blooming means you don’t fully embrace the gift of life.
You have the power to bloom and beautify the world around you.
Don’t let your fear define your life.”
The gardener’s wise words echo in Rose Marie’s mind
as suddenly a summer storm arises.
The garden is whipped by strong winds and rain,
and Rose Marie fears she will be damaged before she even has a chance to bloom.
After the storm, when the sun breaks through the clouds again,
Rose Marie sees that she is still there — strong and unharmed.
With new confidence, she decides it is time to face her fears.
“I will bloom,” she declares resolutely.
Slowly but surely, her buds begin to open,
and for the first time in her life, she shows her true colors.
The other flowers in the garden cheer her on,
and Rose Marie feels overwhelmed with joy and relief.
“See,” says Sonja happily,
“blooming is not the end.
It is a wonderful part of your being,
and when the time comes, you will wither with dignity,
ready to continue the cycle of life.”
Rose Marie, now fully bloomed and radiant,
realizes that life, even if transient, should be celebrated.
Every moment is precious,
and the fear of the end should never stand in the way of life and its beauty.
Perhaps it is this delicate fear that lives in each of us —
the fear of fading away.
And perhaps it is blooming itself that teaches us
to live in peace with it.