One of the most delightful parts of springtime has been going on walks with my little one. I find that I appreciate everything around me so much more as I see how exciting the world is to her. I'm sure as many other mothers know, Dandelion bouquets are an an absolute must for little girls. In fact, we cannot go on a walk without collecting more Dandelions (or as she likes to call them, "din-dins") than my sweet baby can hold.

I am sure that when I was a little girl, I looked at Dandelions and saw beautiful flowers. I don't remember when my shift in thinking occurred, but at some point I began categorizing Dandelions as weeds instead of flowers. Seeing my daughter's love for Dandelions has prompted a little bit of self-reflection.

As I have pondered about Dandelions, I have realized that we can all be likened unto a Dandelion. All of us have parts of us that make us "weeds," so to speak. It is part of being human! We are imperfect and we make mistakes. We have varying trials and temptations, and often people looking from the outside-in cannot look past the weeds and see our flower. In fact, often WE cannot look past our own weeds and see that there are parts of us that are beautiful and good. Too frequently, the weeds within us overshadow the flowers.

There is one, however, who never fails to see our flowers. Just as a child sees a Dandelion as a flower rather than a weed, our loving Father in Heaven is able to look past our weeds and see our beautiful flowers! This is not to say that He overlooks our sins or imperfections, but rather, that they do not taint or blind His view of us. No matter how many mistakes we have made or how many imperfections we have, He still loves us and is able to see the good in us. What a magnificent and loving Father in Heaven we have!

I love the lessons that the Spirit teaches me through my experiences as a mom. They are my miracles, and I cling to them. They always come at a time when I need them most and they bless my life beyond what words can express. Sometimes, I have days where I feel like a lowly weed. But Heavenly Father always has a way of lifting me up and reminding me that someone, somewhere sees my flower; someone sees the good in me.

For a month now, I have had a consistent supply of Dandelions on my kitchen table in a jar. There is a little voice inside my head telling me that when my children are all grown and the magic of Dandelions has faded, I will miss those Dandelion bouquets. No matter how old I grow, however, I will never forget the significant lesson that my daughter and a little flower taught me.

If you are interested, here is a link to a short video about God's love that I found. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-06-2120-nothing-can-separate?lang=eng