You know the saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?  I have found it to be true in many ways.  One man's trash is another man's treasure.  What is beautiful to one person may be considered strange or ugly to another.  Many times, the most beautiful things come from something that is not quite so beautiful.  It's like meeting a person the first time and perhaps they're not attractive or they're not the most outgoing person.  If you relied only on your first impression, you might not get to know the true beauty of that person.  It's when you take the time to look beyond any outward exterior or awkwardness and truly get to know someone that their true inner beauty is revealed.  Bottom line:  don't judge a book by it's cover!!  I know I have gotten quite cheesy here and used a quote or two that would be considered by many to be trite.  There's a reason sayings and quotes like the ones I referred to above are so overly used...it's because they are true. 

Take this flower for instance.  I was watching my son ride his bike the other day and snapping random photos of him.  I went to get a chair which I keep in an area where there are these prickly plants that have thorns all along the edges so I never touch them.  I noticed a bloom peeking out through the middle of the plant.  It took some maneuvering to get my camera and lens in an area where I could get a picture without the "leaves" obstructing my view of the flower.  Did I mention these leaves are lined with prickly thorns that not only hurt if you get poked, but scratch you up and cause the scratches to swell?  Not fun.  I managed to get a shot of the flower and it was the prettiest pink/peach/coral shade.  Proof that beauty can come out of something that isn't very special on it's own, something that is prickly and hard to maneuver around.  The point is that if you take the time to get to know someone or to maneuver around the unattractive bits or the awkward moments or prickly situations, you can end up quite blessed.  Whether it's with people or plants, there's beauty everywhere.  You just have to be willing to take the time to get the shot.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week.  

xoxo,

Jean