One Who Wants a Rose Must Respect the Thorn

By Catherine Enoch

Roses are generally very attractive and inviting to almost everyone; however, anyone who wants the rose must be prepared to respect the thorn, which of course is a part of the rose. Just as nothing good comes easily, so it is with the rose. For example, when I was a teenager, my parents could barely afford my basic needs, yet I was happy and satisfied with what they could provide. At a given time, there were young men who claimed they could give me all I was lacking as a teen. Since I knew I wanted a rose who respected womanhood and would bring joy to my family and me, I preferred to respect the thorn. That preference was a kind of hardship. I needed a husband who would love and cherish me for who I was, rather than for materialistic reasons. Because I respected the thorn, I got a rose, who is my present husband. Another example is the separation from my husband, kids, and parents for educational reasons. Tons of respects are deserved for the thorn in this case. I know exactly what education can bring to my entire family, so I decided to spend time away from my family to give tons of respect to the thorn to get the rose, which is a good education and career. A final illustration of this is the amount of the patience needed to get the rose. It has been a long difficult journey for me to get the rose in this case. Living with friends and relatives requires a lot of patience and understanding. Bearing in mind that I have to respect the thorn in order to get the rose, I was able to make it gradually. Thinking of these factors, my eyes are full of tears, following all I have gone through to have been able to have a career, which is my dream. My only strength comes from the faith and trust I have in God and the simple fact that "One who wants a rose must respect the thorn."