Abstract:
“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature, and everyone is a
rose, but even more complex than a mere flower. Everyone is
made up of infinitely layered petals, and everyone has something
indescribably precious at the heart of their being”. (Gérard de
Nerval and Mary Balogh).
To carry this analogy further, the petals may be likened to a person’s
life, with each one representing the different people or activities
they encounter. The associates may include their spouse, children,
work colleagues, friends, family, medical practitioners, as well as
any number of strangers met during daily activities. Activities
could revolve around work, family, sports, hobbies, education,
social life, health, religion, or leisure. In a young bud the petals are
tightly packed with no spaces between them. As the flower ages
and opens some of the petals spread apart, and even begin to fall
out. By old age there may be very few petals left. Those that remain
gain importance as they occupy so much more of the individual’s
time and thought processes. Medical and dental practitioners are
often amongst the last petals to be lost, and may become central
figures in the lives of their patients. Visits are often more about the
social interaction than the actual provision of treatment.
