FLOWER FRIDAY - WHAT'S IN FOCUS?

From our kitchen window, which is at the front of our house, I look out on a patch of land that is mainly grass and belongs to the local Council.  Our neighbour wanted to buy it to extend his front garden, but the Council refused to sell it to him.  It is well mown for most of the summer but it could look much more interesting if it were well tended by someone who really cared.

When I came back home yesterday, I noticed that against the fence there were some Japanese Anemones, so I decided one of these might be a good subject for the Flower Friday challenge today.

The flower is not quite perfect with a few marks on the petals, and in this particular shot, it is out of focus, but then it has been out in all winds and weathers and we have had some torrential rain and high winds just lately.

What really caught my eye was the little bud in the middle - and it reminded me that we often start our lives like this - small and perfectly formed - and as one father said at our meeting last night, he was “deliciously delighted” with his son when he was first born, overjoyed to be a father to this tiny baby and have the privilege of helping him realise all the potential in his life.

As we go through life, we bear the marks and scars of every experience we have had - and whilst we may embrace the good ones and some of us are able to shrug off the bad ones, others are not so fortunate and can be affected all through their lives.  

When we meet people like this, I believe it’s up to those of us who have overcome pain and adversity in many difficult situations in our lives to help those who are still suffering and to be a blessing to those around us - so how about being a blessing to someone today!  

I will enjoy this beautiful flower as it sits on my kitchen windowsill and watch with interest as the buds open.

"It is the hard days -
     the days that challenge you
          to your very core - 
               that will determine 
                    who you are.
You will be defined
     not just by what you achieve,
          but by how
               you survive."
Sheryl Sandberg

P.S.  I wonder how many people judged my photographic skills, and therefore judged me, by the fact that the thumbnail for this shot was out of focus?