Pansies and Tansies

By Carol Woolum Roberts

 When I take our new puppy Cleo on walks, one of the things I am trying to be better at is paying attention to my surroundings.

I love walking along the river to see how the river changes from day to day.

I look up at the hillsides and see how much snow has fallen, and how close it is to reaching town.

The other day Paul and I took Cleo (our 6 month old Keeshond puppy) on a walk through our neighborhood, then we looped around and got on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes in our local City Park, and headed back toward home.  Snow had fallen that day and was still on the ground. As I  walked along I saw a flash of yellow on the ground.

“Oh my gosh.  This tansy is still alive.”

Yes, to my surprise, a tansy flower was still alive, even though it had been below freezing temperatures and snow had been falling.  But the hardy tansy still bloomed.

As usual, when we arrived back at the house, we took Cleo into the backyard.  I decided to survey the backyard to see if there was anything still blooming.

Pansy, pansy, pansies. Three different pansies were still blooming, in three different pots around the yard.

I started thinking about these hardy flowers, and how they relate to me and my creative life. 

What happens when things around me start growing dark and it is turning cold?  My first inclination is to snuggle under a blanket, build a fire, get a cup of tea and try and get warm. To hunker down.  To hide.

But the tansy and the pansy, despite the colder weather, the shorter days, continue to bloom.  They don’t shut down.  They don’t die off.  They aren’t ready to go to sleep just yet.  They continue to bring color into a cold and white landscape. 

Sometimes we may be asked to be like the tansy and the pansy.  All around us, the world may seem cold, and sleepy, and lifeless.  But we may be asked to bloom.  To show some color.  To show some hope. 

I like knowing what different flowers symbolize.  Yellow pansies are common flowers to give to someone who is going through a rough patch in life. This is because yellow is viewed as a symbol of joy, positive energy, and happiness.

If we pay attention, we can be like the yellow tansy and the yellow pansy, and be there to bloom and be joy, positive energy and happiness to someone.  We may be able to help someone through a rough patch by listening, paying attention, and letting The Creator create something good through us to share with the world.  And put some good out in the world. 

Because we could all use some joy.

Care to join Paul and I on our creative adventure at Grow Me A Story?

Our first membership window for our Sacred Community Garden is open until Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (PST). Join us for this Winter Season, or for the whole year.  For information go to the bottom of our homepage here.