A few weeks after arriving in Norway, I noticed our lawn had started growing weeds, and the first one I recognized was the dandelion. That small yellow flower stood out bright, familiar, and oddly cheerful.
I later learned that dandelions are often seen as symbols of hope, resilience, and healing. Hope and healing made sense to me, but resilience? That made me pause.
I have always been interested in gardening, though I have almost zero experience with it. My husband knows how much I love plants! So I told him I wanted to grow some veggies in our yard. That meant removing the dead roots of old winter plants, laying down fresh soil, and only then planting new seeds. I did what I thought was right.
But day by day, I noticed something; no matter how many times I pulled out the dandelion plants, even the tiniest roots would lead to a healthy new ones. They even sprouted between the cracks in the concrete bricks, making them harder to remove. It got really annoying.
Well, I’m still new to all this, so I guess it’s true what they say; weeds really are a gardener’s number one enemy.
Still, you can’t underestimate the power of the dandelion. They may be sleeping quietly through the winter beneath the soil, but come spring, they rise and bloom like a boss among all the other weeds. It’s truly amazing.
Being resilience and staying persistent are two things I constantly have to remind myself of. Maybe, instead of pulling them out in frustration, I should start learning to love the dandelions… for what they represent.
