The Field to the Left

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dandelions have always been my favorite flowers, although in recent years I have switched to daisies after being told repeatedly that "dandelions are weeds!"

To my luck, I've grown up with a cornfield in front of my house, a wheat field behind it, and a soybean field to the right. And to the left? A huge field of dandelions. I remember getting teary-eyed when my father went outside with the weed killer to annhilate my precious flowers in the front yard -- but he always left the field to the left filled with them. To me, dandelions are as sure a sign of spring as snow is of winter...but so much more welcome!

The best part about dandelions? They are so predictable. Every spring morning as I sauntered through the dewy grass out to the schoolbus, the field to my left appeared entirely green, without a trace of any other color. But the moment I stepped off the bus each afternoon, the field was blossoming with countless beautiful little replicas of the sun. But it's a weed! Maybe so, but a very pretty weed.

What other kind of flower has whimsical white seedlings that can be blown away into the wind? What other kind of flower is acceptable to be picked from a strangers yard without consequence? What other kind of flower can you pop off the head and string the stems together into long chains while on the playground? None. Just dandelions.

Dandelions should be seen for their virtues, rather than as a nuisance as sensible adults see them. Dandelions were once used for all sorts of medicinal purposes and culinary artistry, because they are full of vitamins and antioxidants. Today, they are little more than a weed. Dandelions are the "a plant for which we once knew the use but we've forgotten it."

Let us not forget that beauty can be found in places where not everyone will agree. Remember that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and go pick yourself a lovely, copious bunch of dandelions to brighten up your kitchen table. They are free, after all.