Day 259: Unusual Orchid

Day 259: Unusual Orchid, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I have a number of orchids and they keep giving back to me. My aunt showed me a number of years ago, that when her orchids stopped blooming, she simply put them in an inconspicuous spot (in her case behind a couch near the window) and eventually it bloomed again. I always thought orchids were difficult flowers to keep, but mine have payed me back many times over.

I bought this one because of its unusual colour and pattern. It's funny how we cherish flowers that are different and unusual but cast aside people who don't fit "the mould". I was at a meeting today where we discussed a learning and evaluation situation for young students (a teaching unit encompassing evaluation as well as teaching) and I was introduced to the book, "Don't Laugh At Me" by Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin. In it, children who live with their differences (glasses, braces, sitting in a wheelchair...) tell others not to laugh. How can we help children understand that we are all different in some ways and the same in others and that is what makes each of us unique.