Rose Petal

<Story> 

There once was a magnificent rose garden that bloomed in my grandmother's garden each year. It was the largest of it's kind and the most beautiful. 

There was a small rose petal who grew on this plant. He was small yet pure. But he was not content with what he lived upon. He often stared out into the world, wondering what was the true meaning of life. He became reclusive from his family's activities and eventually became mute.

One day, his mother, a boundless red rose, took notice of this and confronted her dearest petal. 

"My youngest and purest child. What troubles you so?" She asked in such a blessed voice. 

The petal looked at his mother wearily and said in sorrow filled tone, "I am lost, mother. I do not believe that I should exist. My brothers give protection to you with their sharp, needle-like thorns while I do nothing. My sisters provide shade with their leaves of green while I do nothing at all. I sit here watching the days go by and wonder constantly what my being is meant for."

Mother Rose looked down on her petal and smiled gently. "You have yet to find your purpose, young one. It may take you ages or it might present itself within the night's end. If you desire to find your purpose so, then go. Ride the wind in search of the true meaning of life." 

Without any hesitation, Mother Rose picked her young petal up and off of the bloom of which he grew on. She held him in her hands and cradled his softly.

Her touch filled his heart with a small spark of warmth that he had felt from his Mother many times before. 

Mother Rose gave him a hopeful smile before raising him into the air. She let her hands go just as a small breeze came their way. The petal was tossed high into the air by the gentle wind. He looked down and saw the rose bush distancing itself from him as he flew. He saw his mother smiling at him with her warm face beaming in the sunlight quickly disappear. 

The wind picked up into a higher arial level before letting the rose petal drop out of the sky. He fell with such grace until he tumbled into a poison ivy family. The toxic berries and leaves defensively scratched his little body, filling him with the poison it produced. 

"Who disturbs my grounds?" A deep, rattling voice queried. 

The petal looked at the plant and his family and replied, "I am a rose petal and I wish to find my purpose in life." 

"A purpose?" Scoffed the poisoned plant. "Who needs a purpose when you can be a warrior? I protect my family and kin with my toxins and poisons." 

The petal did not care for the idea of being a warrior as he knew that he carried no toxins within his cells.

He thanked the plant and his family for minding him so keenly before he fell into the river below. 

The river was a quiet being. She moved with much grace yet had a dark side to her. She was gently to the petal, though, and cradled him as if he were her newborn. But the waves and tides were harsh on his body. He felt the bruises begin to blister and mold. 

"River, I wish to find my purpose in life." The petal finally said, "And for that I ask of you-do you know?"

The river responded in a calm voice that was majestic yet eerie. "My purpose in life is to be a mother to all. A purpose in which I choose to be." 

The petal did not care for the idea of being a mother as he knew that he had no children to care to. 

He asked the river so kindly to leave him at the dirt bank near a small cottage. 

The river silently did so before carrying on her route.  

The petal waiting a long while on the shore before a young magpie flew down. 

It pecked at the pebbles beside the petal before it noticed the tiny being. 

"What are you doing on my food?" Asked the magpie. 

"I do not mean to be on your food, brother bird. I accidently traveled here, that is all." The petal replied. 

"Would you mind traveling away from my food then?" The bird cocked his head and squawked at the petal. 

The petal was offended but moved out of the way of the bird's pebbles. He looked over to his right as he moved and saw a tall pine forest behind the cottage. He also noticed the cottage itself to be quite beautiful. 

"Brother, what forest lies beyond that house? Is there answers there? Can you take me there?" The petal asked with great hope. 

The magpie looked up at him and squawked again. "No! First you step in my meal and then you insult me by asking ridiculous questions? Be gone with you, petal!" The bird screeched and frolicked his wings, trying to frighten the petal. 

Just then there was a squeak of an old hinge door opening. A man stepped out of the cottage holding an object of much ferocity. Neither the bird nor the petal noticed the man since the magpie was too busy throwing a fit. 

There was a sudden loud popping noise that echoed the forest trees. The young magpie screamed out in pain and fell to his side. 

"Brother! What just happened?!" The petal shook with shock from the sudden noise. 

The magpie lay on his side and felt the immense pain drift over his entire being. 

"You are hurt! What did this to you?" The petal further inquired. He got close to the dying bird. 

"Little one, I am dying. Soon I will join my kin in the sky forever." The magpie replied. 

"You cannot die! You are so young. You have a whole life to live." The petal said quickly. 

"It is my time and I do not argue with it. I need to apologize to you before I go. I am sorry I was so rude. You didn't deserve what I did." The bird's words were weakening as he tried to get them out. 

"You can't go, brother! I must find what my purpose is in life! Please, tell me. What was your's?" Little Petal cried out. 

"My purpose? My purpose was the greatest purpose in the world. You and I share that very same purpose. It is one that you should shine proudly of." 

"But what is it?"

The magpie pushed himself up despite his failing body. He stood up on his two feet and looked toward the sky. The sun sank behind the hills now, leaving an array of colors in the clouds. 

The  bird closed his eyes and said one last note to the petal. 

"My brother, you have found your purpose. Live it well." With that said, the bird extended his wings and flapped them twice before taking to the air. 

The petal watched him fly into the air before falling suddenly into the river ahead. 

As the petal watched the young bird die, he closed his eyes and felt the breeze pick up around him. He was lifted high into the sky. 

For the first time in his existence, he knew. 

He knew what his purpose was. He thought of his mother and siblings as he floated along. He thought of the poison ivy family. He thought of the timid river. He thought of the sad ending of his brother magpie. But most of all, the little petal thought of himself. 

He now, in his last final moments before wilting, found his purpose of life. 

And that was to live.