Lotus

   Strolling through the garden my eyes fell on you. You instantly captured my interest because you were so different than the others. The sight of you standing tall in the water tank, serene yet strong, beautiful yet audacious, adorable yet simple would have captivated any aesthetic lover!

  You stood there all comely and cozy in your liquid home (perhaps!). As I came closer, I had a thought, a rather wild one given my innocence at that time. What if I pull you out from your home! What if I make you homeless and make myself your proud owner! After all you were just a weakling in water! You wouldn't dare refuse my demand! I was stronger than you or so I thought. I came further and caught hold of you, tried pulling you out with force simultaneously taking care that I don't just tear you off from your stem. I wanted the whole of you! But Alas! All in vain! You refused to come out. You were not a weakling. You were strong enough to resist me.

   Saddened by my failure I peeped inside the tank. Brushing aside your leafy bristles, I looked straight inside. And suddenly all my misunderstandings about you were clear. Your stems were so intertwined into each other that I could hardly make out the start and end point of a single leaf! Even though you were so tiny, you taught me the power of unity. I realized that you were strong because your roots were strong.

   By this time, I had got glued to you literally, exploring you more, alluring that you were. You had broad greeny leaves and they were hydrophobic. I recalled my science lessons which said that your leaves had waxy covering that keeps the water from climbing onto it. I learnt my next lesson about you. You derive all your nutrition from water, and yet you deny it to climb upon your leaves. That's the most beautiful thing about you. You keep out all the negativity from your life and nutrition yourself to grow from it. You allow the positive energy of the sunlight inside and prepare food by photosynthesis. Those are the chemical reactions working inside you so fiercely and persistently teaching the importance of perseverance.

   Pondering more I saw a bud ready to bloom in the water. Perhaps that's the beauty of your life. You create something so worthwhile and so perfect making the best use of your circumstances, refusing to give up. You have enchanted hundreds of people coming to the garden and inspired many of them with your presence. Thank you so much dear lotus, you are wonderful.