Why I Admire a Weed

What a Dandelion Taught Me About Growing, Surviving and Standing Strong When No One’s Watching

Most people see a weed.

I see a warrior.

When I chose the dandelion as the profile picture for this blog, it wasn’t just because it was pretty (though I do love the look of a wild bloom standing alone in a sea of green). It was because I see myself in that flower.

Dandelions are misunderstood.

Most folks try to kill them off... pluck them from gardens, poison them out of lawns. They’re considered invasive, uninvited and not worth keeping around. But the truth? Dandelions are one of the most resilient, resourceful plants out there.

They were brought over on the Mayflower, not as a nuisance, but as a gift. Every single part of a dandelion is edible and offer lots of health benefits. Roots, stems, leaves, flowers... all of it can be used to nourish, to heal, to survive. Colonists knew that. They depended on it.

There are even plants out there that pretend to be dandelions. They look similar but aren’t the same. Tall, coarse, and hollow...they’re called Cat’s Ears, but people call them dandelions anyway. The real Dandelions have been buried under the wrong name.

That’s been part of my journey: untangling what I’ve been called from who I actually am.

I’m not just a mom.

    I’m not perfect.

        I’m not a “weed.”

            I’m a Dandelion.

                I’m here. 

                    Still growing.       

                        Still useful. 

                            Still standing strong where most things wouldn’t.

So if you’re here reading this, maybe you’re a little like me. Maybe you’ve been overlooked, mislabeled or misunderstood. Maybe you’re just now beginning to bloom again, quietly, bravely...on your own terms.

And if that’s the case, you’re in good company.

A creed is coming.

A whisper turned roar.

The kind you carry in your roots when the world calls you weak.

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