January 15

We have a few rose bushes out back. Although they're lush with flowers during the warmer months, they're typically bloom-less during the winter (and, had I done my gardening, they'd be trimmed down to just about nothing right now). So I was a bit taken aback when I looked outside earlier and noticed a single pale yellow rose reaching toward the sky.

I studied it for a while and proclaimed it a pioneer of sorts. A warrior. In spite of the less-than-ideal circumstances --the cold weather, the clouds-- it grew into something beautiful. And by all appearances, it's thriving. It's kinda-sorta remarkable.

The sight reminded me of an important truth: we all experience dark times during this life when it's cold outside and the sun never seems to shine. But somehow, we grow anyway. And eventually, we wind up being strong and beautiful in spite of our ordeals -- just like this rose. I think that's pretty darn cool.