Bougainvillea

The Bougainvillea @ Paper Flower was named after a French sea captain, Admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainvillea. He discovered this beauty in 1768. Wow...such an old old plant and yet, it's famous throughout the world today. To be honest, I believe it's one of the most 'neglected' plants here where I live. People take this plant for granted, as a plant that is 'always there' or 'never dies' and instead of admiring for its beauty, people tend to ignore it :(
We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival. (Winston Churchill)


Just look at the brilliant colour...and its beauty....
Today was such a hot day for me...'hot' is really an understatement. Temperature was 92F BUT humidity was a good 84%. Believe me, I had fans and air-conditions turned on; FULL-BLAST... and I was still grumpy and sweaty! Yet, when I walked to my kitchen window and looked at my garden...among the miserable-looking leaves and burnt-looking grass...was these paper flowers, all cheery and bright. WOW! How do one bloom under stress?

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. (Kenji Miyazawa)

The Bougainvillea symbolized playfulness! Haha...yupp...in the midst of the hottest summers where everywhere is brown and people are burning up, these flowers stand tall, swaying in the hot wind, as if teasing us with laughter. These flowers are "best under stress"!!! We could actually learn from them. To take stress and pain as opportunities to bloom in the future. There's a thought...
Memories:
Miss Susanna Chung, a local writer, was someone I was most proud to have met at a forum about inclusive education for children with disabilities in 2009. Susanna was born with cerebral palsy. At age 21, she mastered typing with her right toe on a typewriter and started writing poems and short stories! I had the privilege to chat with her and I could see her determination in her spirit. Talking was quite difficult for her, yet, she gave it her all. Yupp, I could hear her speak quite clearly, although slowly, and I must say...she could be a superb speaker if given a chance.

In my heart a spring of new hope bursts forth,
yesterday another year passed by,
leaving behind memories of sorrows and joys,
and today another year begins,
with its fresh bouquet of hopes and challenges,
and I will take the perfume of yesterday's flowers to sprinkle on my new bouquet. (Susanna Chung)

YESSS!!! WE ALL CAN BLOOM IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES...IF WE CHOOSE TO!!!