The "Joy" Flower

  Has it ever struck you that most every plant on this good earth has a use other than what we normally consider?  Think about it for a moment.  It is a daily occurrence that science discovers that some plant has wondrous properties that can be most useful in one way or another.  Of course, there are those that probably should not be ingested or tinkered with in any form but somewhere down the line, I guarantee, a helpful purpose will be discovered.  We just need to look long and hard.  Some plants have healing properties while others can be used in production of handy goods but all start out as that ordinary old plant.  It has only been a few decades ago that the lowly soybean was looked upon as a weed.  Then it graduated into the use as fodder for livestock.  Wow!  Look at it now!  Soybeans!  The wonder plant! That said, there just has to be alternative uses for every plant...EVERY plant.

  Down in the marsh, there is a small plant called the Salt Marsh Aster. As a plant, it is more or less nondescript but it does have an adorable little bloom.  The plant sits unnoticed until the buds start to open. Then, wham! Everyone takes notice.  (Or, at least I do!)  I like the Salt Marsh Asters.  They brighten up an otherwise drab bit of marsh.  Still, is that the sole purpose of this little plant?  To look sweet and draw butterflies? 

  I pondered that fact as I peeped over the edge of the boards of the pier.  A single bloom braved the winter's bite.  The last few days have been muggy hot thus causing the plant to push out a bloom.  Come two days from now, the cold will shorten the life of the flower.  But, my question was, why?  Why do these plants struggle to grow in the harsh environment of salty mud?  There has to be a reason other than to provide a minute amount of nectar for a passing butterfly.  

  Then it hit me.  Perhaps I am over-thinking the value of things here. Perhaps, just perhaps, this is one of those things that was put on this earth for pure joy.  (You do realize, of course, there ARE things like that!)  After all...in midst of the drear of this gray day, the little white aster beaming up from the marsh, did, indeed, make me smile!  Perhaps that was the sole purpose of the plant's existence.  To bring a smile....to brighten the day.  Not bad, Little Aster, not bad at all.  You have done your job well.  Now if we could all take a clue from that overlooked plant and bring a smile to someone's face...for no purpose whatsoever...just purely for the joy of it.  What a delightful objective that would be!  So....go out and be a Salt Marsh Aster!  Cause someone to smile!  It will do you good and spread a bit of joy in this downtrodden, old world and that, my friend, is a beautiful thing.