A Story About Friendship

Once upon a time, though not so very long ago, four different seeds were planted into one small pot. For years they grew together into little green saplings and were happy. The little pot was all they knew and they were content to stay small inside its confines and its safety.

Five years passed and soon the little saplings had become too big for their little pot. It was time to move on, so their gardener dug them all up and replanted them into a bigger pot with more saplings and more room to grow.

More time passed and the four saplings grew until they had to be moved again; into an even bigger pot with even more room to grow and even more saplings. And still they stayed together. They became stronger in this bigger pot until each one went from being a green sapling to a blooming flower. So many colors, they marveled at what they had become. One a beautiful daisy, its petals the color of puffy white clouds, reaching out to those around it and spreading joy. Another a radiant daffodil, with petals like buttery sunshine, shining light on those nearby. The third a brilliantly red rose, who bravely wore her thorns and always used them for good, protecting those around her and making them brave too. And the last a lovely, timid tulip, whose petals seemed plain on the outside, but when they opened up revealed the deepest shade of blue. Together they created a rainbow of colors so vibrant, each color complimenting the other three.

For four years the flowers bloomed and grew together in this bigger pot and were happy. Even when the rains fell, even when the winds blew and the winters took away their petals until the next spring, they stayed together. Even when the other flowers around them came and went, the four of them always stayed; always survived. Together. 

But all too soon they grew even too big for this bigger pot and the time came for them to be planted into the ground. In some ways the flowers were ready, they knew they couldn't stay in the pot forever, otherwise they would never grow to their full potential. Still, they were scared to leave each other behind. They feared that if they left the pot they would grow apart. The timid tulip feared this most of all. She didn't know how she'd be able to face the rain and snow and wind without the daisy and the daffodil and the rose. Their pot was the only garden she knew and she was afraid of losing her friends. Still, she knew it had to be done. It was time for the flowers to learn how to grow on their own. 

One by one the flowers were dug up to be planted into the soil, but upon digging them up the gardener discovered something miraculous. In all the years that the four flowers had been growing together above the dirt, they had also been growing beneath it as well. And in that time their roots had become so entangled that it was impossible to separate one flower's roots from the other, or tell one flower's roots apart from another's. So it didn't matter how far apart they were planted as they continued to grow because underneath it all they knew that they would always be connected in someway, and this made them happy. They would always share the same roots. No matter what. And even if they had to learn how to grow on their own now, they knew they'd never have to grow apart.

The End

To the rose, the daisy, and the daffodil. You know who you are, and I know who I am because of you three. Thanks for everything you've done and continue to do. So let's keep growing up together; it's so much more fun that way.

Love & Chaos,

Sam