When these buds first appear on cacti, they look like they will all turn out the same. Yet, they go in two distinct directions.
Some will blossom into bright, showy flowers. The brilliance of their beauty inspires and uplifts all who see them. They offer a constant reminder that goodness pervades life. Later, they will bear fruit, providing nourishment to area critters. Their role ends with the season.
Other buds become cactus pads, the thorny “branches” that support growth and protection for the main plant and will bear the next season’s buds. Although they may become dormant for awhile, the pads fulfill their role of sustenance, nurture and support for countless seasons.
As I watch the evolution of these cacti buds into blossoms or pads, I think of the life roles I have lived. In some roles—workshop facilitator, speaker, club officer, writer—I have been the blossom radiating my brilliance, inspiring others to step up and show off their great gifts and talents. In other roles—spouse, aunt, friend, writing coach—I have been the pad offering unconditional love and support, warding off danger, sadness and negativity with my protective thorns.
Some of us have a natural propensity to be a blossom; others to be a pad. At different stages of our lives and in different roles during the same stage of life, we take on the responsibilities and rewards of both roles. Both the blossom and the pad are essential to well-being, just as they are to the life cycle of the cactus.
Which one are you in this moment? The shining star or the support team? The radiant blossom or the strong, nurturing, protective pad?
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