Ever since I was a young girl, I've always adored calla lilies. The beauty drew me in, the mythology behind the floral miracle that they are kept me coming back for more. Such an enigma, these flowers. Used at weddings to make the bride look even more radiant, yet held in the hand of corpses as they're lowered slowly into their six foot deep home. So delicate, yet so resilient.

Lilies have been around for 3000 years, originating near China. Feng Shui believers call them the ultimate symbol of purity, the symbol of being "forever in love." In Greek poetry, the lily was often referred to in the context of tenderness. It was said that it was the "voice of the muses," born from the milk of the goddess Hera.

I feel a strong affinity with the calla lily. So beautiful, yet so tender. Strange as it may sound, I've always dreamed of being able to possess most of its qualities. I wish to bloom where I'm planted, to be able to survive anywhere and through anything. I want people to see me as charming and beautiful. I want to thrive in any situation, to know just what to say to make a person's eyes light up. I'm not quite there yet, but I hope to find my way down that dusty path.

So, that's why there are so many lilies blooming around here. The pure, virginal innocence of them makes my heart sing, makes me dream of a time when life was much more simple and people didn't hide so much vengefulness and hatred in their hearts, undercover. As strong as I may come across sometimes, I'm really just as fragile as they are. Maybe even more so. But I hope to one day grow stronger, even if it takes a lifetime.

This entry was posted by Mellie, on Wednesday, May 18, 2005.