Cactus Flower

With summer quickly approaching, I am reminded of those warm evenings I enjoy at my dad’s house so much.  I love going to my father’s “Rancho” style home on summer afternoons because of the countless hours I have spent swinging on his tree-shaded hammock.  Imagine melting into the fabric of the hammock, laying lazily while listening to the sounds of his animals and hearing the occasional whistling of a soft summer afternoon wind.  As I’m swinging, I can look up to the sky and catch a ray of sun peeking through the trees.  If the peacocks get comfortable enough with me around, I might be fortunate to see one open up it’s feathers and catch a glimpse of it’s colorful splendor.

Above all, what I am most fascinated with are the array of cactus that he has around his house.  I especially enjoy taking pictures of the nopales at dusk, when the golden rays of the sunset outline its silhouette.  On some random, yet very special occasions, I might find a beautiful cactus flower bloom.

Interestingly, my dad has always had nopales around his house.  With the drought conditions in California the past few years, people began to let their grass die, and have found new ways to make their yards look nice and alive without having to use too much water.  Nopales and succulents have become a bit trendy because they can beautify a landscape without the use of excessive irrigation.  Cactus are native to North America and can survive by adapting quickly to their environment.  They can survive in dry, dead, lifeless deserts with little water.  Not only will they survive, but they can bring forth beautiful cactus flowers and sometimes even fruit.

The CACTUS FLOWER reminds me a lot of myself. Maybe you are that woman too, or know someone who has overcome adversity, just to get to where they are today.  There are also those women who have pushed through seemingly impossible life obstacles just to survive.  Maybe at one time in their life, they felt like they were walking through a desert, alone, defeated to the point of giving up on life or a difficult circumstance.   Finally, the hour comes, when all the hurt, pain, and struggle has been left in the distance behind her; that feeling of rising above her circumstances, that moment of awakening she has longed for. At last she is able to lift herself up, hold her face to the heavens and achieve her blossom. Despite the circumstances, La Mujer is finally free and able to blossom with confidence into the beautiful CACTUS FLOWER she was meant to be.

Maybe you feel like you are in a desert at this time in your life.  I want you to know that if you press on, you will be able to see that unique and rare flower bloom– a CACTUS FLOWER– the one who thrives against all odds… La que lucha to leave a beautiful, positive impression of perseverance and endurance.  This is not to say that we won’t face hard times in the future, but we can survive, bloom and thrive.

“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.”

(Isaiah 35:1)

Check our tiendita to purchase the CACTUS FLOWER t-shirt.