“A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.”

― Zen Shin

Laila the lilly was so small and taut, she wanted to grow just hadn’t yet hit a sprout.

She looked at the other flowers and inside grew so much anger.

Their petals were outstretched, so much beauty in a stranger.

Laila, pouted and pouted, and still nothing had changed.

She decided to let it go and accept that maybe she was just a little strange.

When the sun went down Laila finally went to bed. She decided to let all those angry thoughts flee from her head.

The next morning when she awoke, she was in for a big surprise. Her petals had taken bloom, she was the star in all the other flower’s eyes.

She wasn’t the biggest or the best flower around, but her time had finally come she was the newest bloomed flower in town.

A huge lesson was learned from laila’s sprout that day. Never compete with another flower, you will come into your own beauty in your own little way.

By: Mariah Howard

P.S. No two people are ever truly the same. Find your own reasons to sparkle. You are worth it!