June 5, 2013 Photo of the day: "Thorns"

To enjoy the beauty of a rose, it is necessary to negotiate its thorns. My roses haven't bloomed yet, but these thorns, stones, and raindrops protect and nurture my delicate plants as their fragrant blossoms prepare to emerge. As much as I dread the stress of these final weeks of school: yearbook deadlines, exams, grading, packing, saying au revoir to my students, and ending my tenure as Pewaukee's French teacher, I know that these painful thorns are necessary for me to continue to grow and blossom.

March on. Do not tarry.

To go forward is to move toward perfection.

March forward and fear not the thorns

or the sharp stones on life's path.

- Khalil Gibran