There was a certain man who planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon become a beautiful flower. He also noticed thorns on the stem and he wondered, “How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns? He could not understand how something that produced beautiful flowers could turn out to have thorns .Saddened by this thought he stopped watering the rose plant. Unfortunately, the rose plant died before it bloomed. This story is a reflection of our own lives. Within every person, there is a rose waiting to bloom. We all have beautiful qualities planted in us before we were even born. These good qualities grow among the thorns of our faults. Many times we look at ourselves and see only the thorns-- the faults we make. When we look in a mirror we see what we do not have and instead want what others have. We wish we were shorter, prettier, and lighter. We become miserable, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. When we do this we neglect to water the good within us. We destroy the power within that was given to us when we were created. This power is in form of talents and abilities. We should always realise our potential and this is the rose within us that needs to be watered. Different people like our friends, parents and good leaders support us and remind us of our strengths and abilities. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to reach past the thorns of another, and water the rose within them. We should look out for our friends and it’s our duty to remind them of their potential and the beauty they have within. This is one of the characteristics of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting them into your life. We should always help others to realise their potential by showing them the “Rose” within that is more beautiful and able to conquer their thorns. Ends
