tardy azalea

March is when the azaleas bloom in my area. It seems to happen overnight, a virtual explosion of color washes over my normally rather deficit in this department yard. This nearly overwhelms me with its resplendence…….the profusion of color almost too much for this black and white photographer’s eyes to absorb at once. And then one day not long after its dramatic debut I walk out my back door to find every last bloom has packed up and left…..the curtain has dropped……..and the show is over just as abruptly as it began.

In the months that follow there will sometimes arrive an unexpected azalea bloom. One lone bush, that for some unknown reason missed the featured performance but decided to bloom in its own time regardless. In a strange way I appreciate this tardy azalea most of all, maybe I even relate to it. Never one to follow the crowd, I later sometimes wonder if I’ve made a mistake in missing a chance to mingle and perform with the rest. But the tardy azalea unflinchingly sings out, “No worries, bloom when you’re ready, even if you find yourself alone. Just tell your own story, and all will be well”.

~Cynthia