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"Almost Perfect" - Photo by Lynda Lehmann, c 2008
A pink Camellia basks in the subdued and filtered mid-winter light of a greenhouse. This one is blooming earlier than many of its still-dormant counterparts. Within the contours of its delicate petals is a delineation of order, peace, and unassuming beauty. The slight blemishes at one or two of its petal tips, do not mar its overall magnificence. Perhaps in seeing this we can remind ourselves that to find the beauty within us all, is not to imply that we must fulfill an ideal of perfection. Maybe we, like the flower, are beautiful and complete--each of us--in spite of our imperfections.
Tonight before you go to sleep, why not concentrate on all the good and kind and decent things you have done today or in the past week. I hope you will find your personal beauty in that meditation, and be graced with sleep as serene as this quiet flower!
Image and text c 2008 Lynda Lehmann. If you are interested in purchasing this image, please visit my sites at Imagekind orLynda Lehmann Painting and Photography
32 comments:
Wow! fills me with a soft embrace...loved your inspiring commentary too...
Lovely photo. Perhaps we're even beautiful & complete because of our imperfections.
Hi Lynda:
I don't get the almost, only the perfect. (big grin)
I just love the softness created by the perfect display of petals and perfect colour.
couldn't resist the play on title.
Niels Henriksen
How lovely Lynda!!! I love flowers because they start off as just a bud.If they are cared for they bloom into something beautiful. What a wonderful photo!!! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Hi Lynsa,
Lovely photo, and it's nice to dee the camellia's here opening up nicely and the daffodils are starting to open too...spring is on its way :)
I have an Award for you :)
Details here
Have a great day,
Colin
Beautiful blog - lovely soundtrack & exhilarating abstracts!
Called in via Anna.
Hi Lynda, beautiful image and positive words, great post, thanks.
Oh my Lynda,
Thank you ever so much for this perfect post.
I have been right straight out today.
And, now I feel so very calm.
You're the tops...simply the tops:)
She is so beautiful- I have not seen one in person - do they have as beautiful a scent too?
Merging Point, I thank you for reading my commentary! I hate when people come over and just look at the image and don't read what I tried to express. Thanks! :)
Lana, I agree with you. If it were not for our idiosyncracies and imperfections we wouldn't be individuals--we'd be more like clones of each other, and that would be boring.
Which brings up the idea of free will. How could we have free will if we were all alike, or all "perfect"? Nature is full of variation and diversity, and our imperfection fits perfectly well into that scheme!
Thanks for stopping by!
Niels,
Ah, you too? (equally large grin, ha ha...)
And yes, I guess "Almost Perfect" is an exemplary oxymoron, since perfection is the superlative and ultimate (and unattainable) state!
Angela,
Yes, they start as buds and bloom just as we do, given some proper nurturing and a little luck.
As I get older, I'm beginning to love my imperfection, to embrace it and the relative state of things. Now I see meaning in the nuance and sweep of the human condition, and find the idea of perfection to be utterly stultifying!
I'm glad you enjoyed the photo, Angela. :)
Oh, thank you, thank you, Colin!
Though you've given the award to a very slow and slothy snail of a recipient, I am grateful to you for thinking of me! I'll be over to see it! :)
Julie, thank you very much! And my thanks to our dear Anna, too, for her kindness and support!
Bob, thank you for coming in out of the cold and away from the night sky long enough to read our posts! lol...
I admire your passion! :)
KML, I have seen them only at greenhouses, as my garden is incapable of producing any such glorious specimens!
Since my eyes began to tear and I sneezed continually on that too-warm winter day, and my allergies were fooled into thinking it was spring, I would not dare to put my nose to any flowers to smell them!
So I don't really know about the scent. I think there was a faintly sweet smell in the greenhouse, but that could have been more of a musty and sun-warmed earth smell.
Shinade, you don't know how happy it makes me if my words had meaning for you!!!
Thank YOU!!! :)
Have a wonderful evening.
this is breathtaking Lynda !!!!
and such beautiful words too :)
peaceful thoughts before you sleep...
ah yes....I'm a great believer !!!
A very lovely and delicate flower. You have a peaceful blog and that is a good thing in my book. :o)
Oh, how breathtakingly lovely! February is camelia month around here with all the bushes outside in full bloom. I have yet to photograph this year's blooms. Thanks for the reminder!
Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage
What a sweet kiss from the flower faeries! It's a beautiful image, and I love the meditation you've suggested to go along with it. That soft color is soothing...
*Sparky*
Hey Lynda,
What a beautiful flower! I confess that I am not a flower person, but this one is absolutely ravishing :D!
"Maybe we, like the flower, are beautiful and complete -- each of us -- in spite of our imperfections." - how true, my friend; how true! I usually tell people "Within your imperfections you are perfect" (one of my mottos) :).
Aaaah, I meditate everyday! I believe to have come across my personal beauty a long time ago (I started meditating when I was 17); and that is why I do not have self-esteem issues I think...meditation unfolds the beauty, the goodness in you (when done with discipline, and accompanied with other life disciplines) :)!
I hope everything is going well with your show :D!
Cheers
A wonderful image. And your description "order, peace, and assuming beauty." So eloquent. I like the way you ask all of us to compare ourselves to the beauty if flowers. You must have a kind heart.
Always a pleasure to visit your site.
Have a nice day.
Lynda,
It's an inspiring post.
I saw camellia for the first time when I was in Australia or New Zealand. I called it thornless rose. I love flowers too.
Kim, somehow I just KNEW that about you, with your sunny smile and enthusiasm coming across so well!
Titania, I am very pleased if my blog feels peaceful to you, as some sense of peace is, I think, one of the things we all want in our lives! :)
Hi Cindy,
Thank you! I know you'll do them justice when you photograph them!
I saw on FB that it's an "Iverson" birthday. I think that must be Brent. If I remember correctly, you've already had yours,
recently--but since I'm in MentalPause, I could be wrong.
Anyway, Happy Birthday to the Iverson whose birthday it truly is!
Sparky,
Ah, yes, we all need to be soothed. I think we bloggers DO some of that for each other!
Thanks for coming by! :)
Hugs...
Sparky,
Ah, yes, we all need to be soothed. I think we bloggers DO some of that for each other!
Thanks for coming by! :)
Hugs...
Lynda just in time for Valentine's. Almost perfect, but I want to say it is perfect. Just beautiful. You said: 'Maybe we, like the flower, are beautiful and complete--each of us--in spite of our imperfections.' - and this is beautifully said too. Taking your advice, as I always tend to just jump into bed, play my Sudoku while waiting for my hubby to go sleep, and then thinking how am I going to tell him politely not to snore because he usually follows sleep like a rock before me, lol, kidding aside, good advice Lynda and will do, thanks, Anna :)
oohhh just me again, forgot to subsribe, lol. Anna :)
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