The Beauty of Bougainvilleas

Perhaps you've never even seen this flower before, or maybe you have and just never knew the name of it. Or, neither of the aforementioned applies to you, and you might think it a bit patronizing that I felt it necessary to include a picture of this gorgeous flower in my post. Whatever category you fall into, I believe I must inform you that my discussion of bougainvilleas is not focused on plant biology or the variety of colors these flowers come in. Rather, it consists of a more philosophical approach. So be ready for some heavy stuff.


When looking at the image above, you'll notice that bougainvilleas are rather flashy and colorful, their showy hues contrasting with a plain, white center. Big deal, right? But surprisingly, its small, seemingly insignificant center is the whole flower. The huge, bright pink surrounding is simply there for, essentially, aesthetics. While it's true that these bracts attract the birds and bees needed for pollination, all of the actual work happens in the tiny, out shined center of the plant.

Now, by this point you're probably wondering why any of this matters. What influence could this possibly have on my life? Here comes the metaphor. In everyday life, whether it be at work, home, or school, we are required to complete tasks. Whether it be as simple as feeding the dog, or as big as putting together a business proposal, each task we are asked to perform requires time and effort on our part. And quite often, our hard work goes unrecognized. This can be extremely frustrating, and even more so when the credit is given to someone else. So when our efforts are forgotten, and we don't get the glory we feel we deserve, that's grounds to just give up, right? Well, think about the bougainvillea flower. Even though the hardest working part of the plant is often overlooked next to its attention-grabbing bracts, it continues to do its job. Now before you start to criticize, and say, Wait a minute Emily. Flowers are very different from people, I'll assure you I'm quite aware of this fact. But consider this: Humans often get inspiration for designing cars, houses, and skyscrapers from plants and animals. So why can't we also use this inspiration for the design of how we live our lives?

This is not to say we should be doormats for those who insist on taking the credit for our efforts. It's also not to suggest that we should expect others to do the hard work and not whine when we want to tag along for some time in the spotlight. It's really to help you, and me, keep in mind that if we decide to give up just because we don't get the recognition we want, it not only affects those who we feel have wronged us, but it usually comes back to bite us as well. Think what would happen if the small, yet important center of a bougainvillea just stopped working because it wanted to be bright and noticeable. Sure, its colorful competitors would suffer, but so would the flower itself. This being said, we must also make an extra effort to recognize the achievements of those who have been pushed behind the scenes; because if we know how discouraging it is to work tirelessly without gratitude from anyone, why should we let someone else feel that way?

So there you have it: the beauty of bougainvilleas. Who knew we could learn so much from a flower, eh?

Best of wishes to you in this not so big, yet not so small world.

Sincerely,
- Emily