The Beauty of Failure

I waited patiently. My mother had given us a hydrangea bush. I was eager to see what colours the flowers would be. Would they be pink, purple or blue? Maybe I could play with the colours by adding supplements to the soil. Let’s see what emerges first.

It seemed to have missed the blooming season after we planted it in our garden, so I had to wait longer. Then, with the arrival of summer, blooms started to appear. The outer edges of the flowers started to bloom. Dark pinks and shades of purple delighted me. I continued to watch.

I was waiting for that full bloom of a giant flower head that hydrangeas are known for. Surely it won’t be long. After a couple of weeks, I looked closer at the bloom head. Oh, how beautiful it is. Wow. In the time it takes to develop it is so magnificent.

Weeks went by, and still no big head of flowers. My hydrangea had failed.

There is no big head of blooms looking like one ball. Just a ring of them on the outside with a centre of tiny blooms in the middle.

Yet, in its failure, this flower's beauty is magical.

Failure suddenly took a new meaning.

There are times I am afraid to step out for the fear of failure.

“What if I fail.”

“What if I succeed.”

The panic can be paralysing.

Breathe. Breathe. Let go.

See in the failure the potential of beauty. A failure is not to be feared. A failure is a new creation. It is something new to be adored and cherished. It is a new opportunity to open up and start again. Or is it something incredible to build on?

My hydrangea may have failed to bloom as expected, but the beauty it has revealed to me is beyond my imagination.