If there was ever an unofficial national flower of China, it would the plum blossom. They are ever present in traditional Chinese paintings (guó huà) and are beloved not solely because they’re beautiful, but also because they bloom in winter. The plum blossom represents resilience and the ability to thrive even in the harshest of conditions.
Okay, that was probably a bit dramatic to explain why I’m digging my floral-printed blouse today, but like, #metaphors. I’m a glass half-full type person, but I’ll be honest, the last few weeks have just been a bit of a slog, and I need all the metaphorical symbolism I can get right now to keep me going (can it not be winter anymore?).
As someone who struggles with anxiety and mental health, I have a running list of best practices to cope with the times where my brain is on overdrive. One of my favorite tools in my coping kit, if you will, is thinking about whether a thought that is stressing me out will matter to me in a year. Most, if not all of the time, the answer is no. Hindsight is 20/20, but looking back on the stuff that freaked me out a year ago really does remind me that maybe we’re all a little bit more resilient like the plum blossom than we give ourselves credit for.
SHOP MY LOOK
Floral Print Puff Long Sleeve Blouse
Petite High-Rise Skinny Jean (Mine are a very similar cut and style from Banana Republic pictured here. They don’t sell the exact ones anymore, but linked is a near-identical dupe without the frayed bottoms)
One of the reasons I love personal style so much is because it’s a way to make life a little more beautiful even if there are forces outside of your control that are less than beautiful. And so today, in honor of the ever-resilient plum blossom, I am taking some time to create small spaces of beauty in my life despite the winter.
xx,
Anna
“If you can’t find the bright side in life, polish the dull side.” – Unknown
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