I’ve always loved flamingos. Their brightness has always appealed to me. To me, flamingos connote beauty, grace and balance. (I’m talking about the flamingo birds that wade in water, not the plastic ones that one finds in stereotypical American front yards).
Whether they know it or not, flamingos are what they eat. Literally.
Imagine if we turned the colour of our food…. I would probably be a bright red and have a cream cheese frosting hair colour thanks to the vast amounts of red velvet cake that I consume?! Anyway, this isn’t a health blog post about food and how it affects your skin….(maybe another day on that one)
I’d like to encourage you to be YOU. The maker of the Milky Way made and fashioned you. So why try and be something you are not?! Embrace the freckles, the out of control curly hair, the straight hair that will never curl, the stretch marks, the short legs, the long legs and all the pieces that make you uniquely you. There is nothing more beautiful than a person who is authentic.
In a world that is inundated with conformity, rigidity, trends, patterns, marketing stereotypes, norms and traditions (and good old peer pressure) … Stand out! Just like a flamingo doesn’t crouch around because it is taller than most other birds, it walks tall. So should you!
I have a flamingo top that I occasionally wear to remind myself to be a flamingo in a world of pigeons. I also have a set of flamingo coasters, one of which I have purposefully positioned on my bedside table on which to rest my morning cup of coffee. Every morning as I catch a glimpse of the pink bird, I am reminded to be true to myself and not be camouflaged by conformity.
Flamingos have long legs that enable them to wade in deep waters. This reminds me of how when I stand on my identity in God I’m able to stand tall and go through deep things and not be swayed or affected as easily as apposed to relying on just my own strength and ability.
I was recently one of the bridesmaids at a close friend’s wedding. The photographer took photos of the beautiful day and when it was my turn to pose… I went full on flamingo… and squished my nose against the glass door and did a little leg pop (well that was actually because I had a fractured foot at the time and was wincing with pain) I didn’t let a hugely blue and swollen foot stop me from being a beautiful bridesmaid or from enjoying this special occasion (I even danced). … So I do practice what I ‘preach’.
A group of pigeons is called a flock. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. I’m not sure about you but I’d rather be part of a flamboyance than a flock.
One is still able to be part of a community and yet be unique.
Wishing you a lovely day and do remember to stand flamboyantly ‘tall’ my flamboyance of friends.
Much love
Cayly
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