Dandelion Joy

The dandelion is the most wildly and recklessly generous of all flowers. Every part of the dandelion can be transformed into food, medicine, tea or dye. Hardy and stubborn, hopeful and joyous, dandelions can grow where little else will, scattering seeds with lavish abandon. Blowing on a dandelion puff was once believed to reveal if someone loved you— puffs of air from hopeful young romantics sending their bright affections to the sky. When they take to the air, dandelion seeds still carry our wishes into the universe and into being.

As you go about your day, find one dandelion. Hold it gently in your hand. Notice its golden color, its soft petals, its symmetry. Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath. Imagine the warmth of the sun gathered in that tiny bloom. Let that warmth travel to you. Feel the warmth settling in your solar plexus, the center of your inner fire. Feel it brighten your confidence, your joy, your sense of possibility. Carry the dandelion with you, or place it somewhere special as a small beacon of generosity and joy.

My wish for you today is that joy finds you with the same wild, generous abandon as the dandelion.