By Emily LaLuna
A story about a moment of positive solitude in a local garden in Florence, Giardino Delle Rose.
Normally, the word solitude is associated with a negative connotation. After four months of living in Florence and dealing with the transition of being far from home, many have discovered that it has a much deeper meaning and doesn’t always need to be an unenthusiastic concept. Solitude is good for the soul; it allows a deeper connection with yourself where you can truly discover the underlying beauty within. There are many positive moments of solitude in everyday life, here’s a short story about one.
A solitary lotus flower sits on top of a small pond in Giardino Delle Rose. With its roots planted firmly in the mud, it blooms into a beautiful site every day. Since the time the seed was planted in Florence, it has broken through the layer of mud it was placed beneath and blossomed into a fascinating part of life. It has grown in a positive manner, despite the murky place where it comes from. Upon arrival in the pond, the seed was afraid of what was to come, yet determined to face it. The goal was to break through and radiate light into the world, spiritually and physically. Not just for self-love but to help the people.
Humans admire beauty and the flower wanted to share what was inside. Its strengths have truly been shown and it has overcome the obstacles that have been thrown at it all its life. Having to navigate through the dark and around many other things in its path, it has become a flower who no longer hides in the depths of the pond or even just beneath the surface. It has emerged from the water and unfolded day after day, exposing itself to this big city and sharing everything it has to offer. Being alone in the bottom of the pond has allowed the growth and ability to flourish into the exquisite flower it has always wanted to be.
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