Blossom like a winter flower

Helleborus, this is the name of this wonderful flower I "discovered" this winter. It is also commonly called Winter Rose, at least here in Italy.

It's strange, since in my parents' garden there's a huge spontaneous shrub, I never really noticed.

Just before Christmas I went to visit a friend of mine who owns a vivarium and flower shop, and she asked me to choose a flower as her present. Having to choose your own present may be a little embarrassing, and in her place it's so hard to make a choice. But then I saw this wonderful little plant, with one big white flower and some blossoms. It was still in the nursery, but I fell in love and took it, also thinking it was not a too expensive one, in case it shouldn't survive (I was sure this was its destiny with me). My friend explained to me the name and how to take care of it and I came back home with my little wonderful white winter rose.

I learnt I had to give it water, especially in the coldest days, which is really unusual, but when I saw its flower belting down in the coldest December days, I run to give it water, and talk to it and hoped it could recover. And unexpectedly everytime my white winter roses got new strength and came up again. Blossoms became flowers, and more and more blossoms were born, and it got full of leaves and became a large Helleborus in just a month, till yesterday I had to move it in a larger pot.

So when nature seems to stop its activity and vitality, still there are flowers that show their best beauty, getting against all standard thinking.

Holidays are over now and we're getting back to work. How do you feel ? You know, I've not been affected directly by COVID-19, my family is safe, but if I consider what's still happening outside, and the fact we're starting the third pandemic year, I realize in some way I was affected as well, and these years will live a sign inside me, for sure. I feel like a like a flower in winter.

I'm really tempted to react as a cyclamen, that even if it's a winter flower, just spend the coldest days frozen, as if life was suspended, till the temperature will become a little warmer.

The same it's for me: back to work, with all other activities suspended, till the situation will become safer. I've the impression I really have to dedicate myself to hard working, full stop. Outside the world is different from how it used to be and I know I would not probably feel comfortable as I used to.

But this would simply be surviving the winter as the cyclamens do, not really living the winter season. I know I have to take care of me in this particular period of our lives. I need to force myself and get outside, and dedicate resources and time to work hard, but also to exercise, time off, sleep, healthy eating. Start the path to go back to a "new normal" lifestyle.

Let's all blossom like a winter white rose