3 Nov 2025 ~ SARAH’S ROSES

Sarah and her rose garden have been on my mind for the past few days. Obviously, she left her mark on more than just the garden; she touched the hearts of her family. But, maybe most importantly, she left a legacy. 

While contemplating her life and legacy, I’m again looking through the photos I took of Sarah’s roses. What is striking about the roses is that there are flowers in many different stages of blooming. Some are still only buds, some started to open up, some are in full bloom, and yet others are already wilting and dying, and then there are many empty stems where the petals have already fallen. 

It made me think of life’s many different stages from being conceived until being put to rest. I’m finding myself at the end (I hope) of the most difficult stage I had to face up to date, midlife. Thinking back, I realize that every stage had its own joys and challenges. Sometimes the challenges can be so overwhelming that they overshadow the joys. Sometimes you press so hard to get through it that you hardly notice the roses, let alone stopping to smell them. Midlife has been such a time for me. 

Maybe what is so difficult about midlife is coming to terms with the fact that I am now a wilting rose. Yes, I have passed my prime and am now entering the final stage of life. There is no shame in admitting it.

I have no idea what exactly this means, but what I do know is that change does not always occur as a consequence of hardship and adversity.  Change is most often just part of the process of being alive…