Flowers are the darlings of nature, being gorgeous and lovely. Almost everyone loves flowers, perhaps because of their beauty or their fragrance. However, while we love them, have we noticed the life philosophies hidden within them?
A shop owner once said, "愈是淡雅朴素的花就愈是芳香" (The more simple and elegant a flower is, the more fragrant it becomes). Are we not much the same? People who are simple and unpretentious often possess purer hearts; they are free from distractions and desires, choosing only to contribute silently. Yet, such simple souls are all too rare.
I once heard a discussion about the lotus flowers in a pond. Someone suggested, "采莲就是采清晨那些开了的莲花" (Picking lotus flowers means picking those that bloom in the early morning). Another disagreed, saying, "开得越早，放得也越快" (The earlier they bloom, the sooner they fade). My grandmother smiled and said, "清晨若不开的莲，它到了晚上也不会开" (If a lotus doesn't bloom in the morning, it won't bloom at night). It turns out that flowering must happen early, much like how we should seize the moment in our work. As the saying goes, "一日之计在于晨" (A day's plan begins in the morning), we should grasp the beautiful morning hours and work harder.
A flower farmer once told me, "愈是娇贵的花愈容易凋谢" (The more delicate a flower is, the more easily it withers). Nothing is more delicate in life than youth. Since life is short and youth is fleeting, we must cherish our time and love our youth. "花有重开日，人无再少年" (Flowers may bloom again, but youth never returns). Let us not wait until we are old and frail to regret wasting our prime.
Someone once said to me, "我最喜欢玫瑰了，但是我很讨厌它的刺" (I love roses, but I hate their thorns). This is just like the saying, "金无足赤，人无完人" (No man is perfect). Everyone has flaws, and even great people are no exception; once their dazzling aura fades, their shortcomings appear. We must love the rose along with its thorns and learn not to be hurt by them. The same applies to people: we should be tolerant of their flaws and learn not to let them hurt ourselves or our loved ones.
Flowers in nature come in all varieties, and the philosophies they hide are equally diverse, depending on whether one chooses to discover them. Therefore, flowers are not just for appreciation; in many ways, they are our great teachers and friends!
