Dandelion Children - appreciate their extraordinary hardy beauty

Recent research has talked of ‘orchid children’ – those who without special nurturing and attention fail to bloom.  They have the potential to achieve a lot but with improper care can spiral downwards into addiction, self-abuse, depression etc.  There have been many articles on these orchid children – how to identify, help and encourage them flourish.  Parent’s websites and magazines abound in strategies to help them.

However, the 'dandelion children', those who thrive despite hardships tend to creep under the radar.  This piece is designed to celebrate these little rays of sunshine that make the world brighter despite being given an incredibly hard start in life.

Dandelion children they call you

No rare orchid sensitive to water and light

A resilient hardy species

Whose ugly roots go deep beneath the surface.

Through hardship they must dig deep.

Burrowing painfully in dark places.

Enduring pain and suffering

Not nurturing and kindness.

All that digging bears fruit

The bright-headed dandelion has roots

Fragrant flowers would die for.

Cheerfully resilient they are found everywhere!

Needing no brush to help them fertilise

No tender handling for efficient growth

Tear them out, eradicate with determination.

These deep roots will send shoots

Of new growth towards the light.

Dam them, enjoy them, endure them

They will out.

Once spent in their blazing brightness

They multiple a hundred fold

Scattering their off spring

With sweet abandon.

Knowing that these are a breed apart

Using every obstacle as a stepping stone

All setbacks an opportunity

To inwardly reflect

On lessons to be learned.

Steeled against philosophical circular ponderings

Or self-conscious preoccupation.

They've learned not to blame

What cannot be changed.

The dandelion children state their claim on life

Painting their happy sunshine colour

Prosaically common

Outshining the pretty and the rare.