Lotus for Potus

A lesson from the lotus flower

“There is the mud, and there is the lotus that grows out of the mud. We need the mud in order to make the lotus.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Today I learned that the first name of the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States means Lotus flower. Lotus is a Sanskrit word that symbolizes purity, rebirth, and strength in Indian culture.

The lotus seed plants its roots firmly in water-covered soil, then sends up stems that open into large circular leaves and flower stalks that eventually produce buds. Those buds bloom into stunning flowers like the one pictured above.

The lotus flower also has an inspiring approach to daily life - opening with the rising sun then closing its petals and submerging beneath the water as the sun sets. You can read all about its life cycle here: https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/how-does-a-lotus-flower-grow/.

Kamala was named by her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who immigrated to the United States from India and studied at the University of California, Berkeley. After earning her doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology, she became a world-renowned breast cancer researcher, political activist, and beloved teacher. What I love about the fact that she named her daughter Kamala is that it fits perfectly with the message of David Wilcox’s song, Show the Way. Here was a woman who believed in the power of love and raised her daughter to believe that she could make a difference even in dark and difficult times. “She taught us to be conscious and compassionate about the struggles of all people,” Kamala Harris says. “To believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility."

Copyright 2024 by Jena Ball. All Rights Reserved.

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Previous Posts About Kamala Harris

• This Could Be a Celebration

• Yes We Kam

• While We’re On the Subject

• It’s Time

Lyrics: Show the Way by David Wilcox

You say you see no hope
You say you see no reason we should dream
That the world would ever change
You say the love is foolish to believe
'Cause they'll always be some crazy
With an army or a knife
To wake you from your daydream
Put the fear back in your life

Look
If someone wrote a play
To just to glorify what's stronger than hate
Would they not arrange the stage
To look as if the hero came too late?
He's almost in defeat
It's looking like the evil side will when
So on the edge of every seat
From the moment that the whole thing begins

It is love who mixed the mortar
And it's love who stacked these stones
And it's love who made the stage here
Although it looks like we're alone
In this scene, set in shadows,
Like the night is here to stay
There is evil cast around us
But it's love that wrote the play
For in this darkness love can show the way

Now the stage is set
You can feel your own heart beating in your chest
This life's not over yet
So we get up on our feet and do our best
We play against the fear
We play against the reasons not to try
We're playing for the tears
Burning in the happy angels’ eyes

For it's love who mixed the mortar
And it's love who stacked these stones
And it's love who made the stage here
Though it looks like we're alone
In this scene, set in shadows,
Like the night is here to stay
There is evil cast around us
But it's love that wrote the play
For in this darkness love will show the way

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