The Last Rose of Summer

Written by Irish poet Thomas Moore in 1805, the message of the poem "The Last Rose of Summer" is really pretty bleak, especially the last verse where he speaks of death, his own and others, and the loss of old friends. I prefer to think in less depressing ways. I notice during my walks that many of the flowers that have graced our gardens have begun to fade. But there is often still so much beauty left in them. The rose in the pitcher above I think is a wonderful example of this. This one reminds me of the beauty of a grand old lady. Dried up and wrinkled, there is still beauty and elegance to behold. She is the perfect example of what it means to grow old gracefully. She seems to need a bit of support from the handle of the pitcher. But she is holding its head erect, with even a hint of a smile. She hasn't given up yet. She knows she still has what it takes to do her job of bringing beauty and happiness into the world. What wonderful life lessons we can get from just the simple things around us if we would just look for them.