Like a Blooming Rose

By Tate Moyer, posted by Avery

I am still struggling to accept that my last day of attending high school was an uneventful Friday in the middle of March. I woke up at 6:15 AM, made breakfast, and left for school early so I could do some last-minute studying for my Statistics test. I went through that school day the same way I had gone through any other ‘normal’ day: unconcerned, uninterested, even apathetic. Now, I am sure I would have gone through that day much differently if I had only known it would be my last. 

Unfortunately, we are in our present situation because many people have failed to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. Throughout the past two weeks, there have been striking disparities between the reactions of adults and teenagers. While many adults overreacted by hoarding non-perishables, hand sanitizers, and (weirdly enough) toilet paper, the vast majority of teenagers seemed relatively unbothered and extremely annoyed. I even found myself adopting such a perspective, complaining about how my school’s closure likely meant no prom and no graduation ceremonies. I was constantly questioning “Why me? Why does this have to be happening during my senior year?”. 

My outlook finally shifted when I started tuning into the news on a regular basis. I was shocked as I began to realize the true severity of our current circumstance, and I became outraged that I’d fallen victim to much of the false information circulating on social media. Needless to say, the economic fallout from this virus has been tremendous, hospitals are overwhelmed, and there have been almost 11,000 deaths worldwide. In the coming months, millions of families will likely lose their jobs, their homes, and even their loved ones. Despite all of these catastrophic and devastating realities, I had only been selfishly concerned with how I was going to be impacted and how my senior year had been cut short. With this realization, my original frustration at school closures soon shifted to relief that government officials were taking strides to prevent our country’s situation from worsening. Ultimately, I was overcome with a sense of gratitude, for I was safe and healthy and my family had only been minimally affected by this universal tragedy. 

Although many people are calling current quarantine efforts inconvenient and unnecessary, I have been trying my best to find a silver lining amidst all of the madness. I have plenty of time to spend time with my family before I leave for college in the fall, I’ve been able to try new things and explore new hobbies, and the demanding schedule that used to dictate my every move has now been cleared. I have been exercising daily, and I’m also spending much more time outdoors. I’m just taking everything day by day, and I’m slowly learning to discern the value of where I am now, right in this moment, and not where I am going. 

There is a painting titled “The Rose V” by Cy Twombly that I stumbled across a couple of years ago at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles. I’ve attached photos of this painting below, and I wanted to share its message because I believe that it perfectly encompasses what the world is enduring right now. The painting is a part of a series in which the artist explores the natural lack of permanency in nature through images of decaying roses. The text scribbled on the side of the painting reads as follows: 

“Infinitely at ease despite so many risks, with no variation of her usual routine, the blooming rose is the omen of her immeasurable endurance. Do we know how she survives? No doubt one of her days is all the earth and all of our infinity.”

Just like the transient and delicate nature of the rose, nothing in this world is eternal. Our life’s worth is simply derived from appreciating every fleeting moment, despite how terrible or mundane things may seem. Life continues to operate independent of risk and tragedy, and so should we. So, I urge you to take this time to appreciate the small things, reconnect with your loved ones, and discover a separate peace. Because no matter what the future holds, the roses will continue to bloom.