The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." That's a quote by Walt Disney. Along with that, we know that the winds of March and the rains of April are not just ordinary rains—we call them the Bakmaha Akunu (April thunderstorm), don’t we? But all of that comes to an end... and what comes to my mind is the blossoming of flowers that color the month of May. For us, Sri Lankans, no matter where in the world we are, the flowers that bloom in May—May Mal, Nil Mahanell, Kadupul, Roborosiya—aren’t just unforgettable memories. I believe they carry feelings too. In Europe, spring also arrives during this time. The English word spring means “beginning, arising, birth, blossoming.” Truly, after a long pause, the warmth that spring brings reminds us that… nothing is truly lost, and after a long silence—or rest—everything changes, or is reborn, and the environment smiles again. So during difficult times, rather than stopping at what seems like the end of the result, Mark your boundaries. Embrace change. Heal. Grow. Begin the journey—make use of that time. And when talking about that today, we already have a role model among us. That’s our Anudi—Anudi Gunasekara. I have read one outfit that Miss India is wearing takes about 3 years to weave as it is hand-woven, not for this particular person, but generally, it takes 3 years. Along with time, think about the money? In the meantime, our Anudi tells a journalist, “Sri Lanka isn’t a pageantry country.” Yes, that’s true. But neither you nor I know the challenges Anudi faced within that truth… Why? Instead of lamenting those difficulties, we see her walking forward, adorned in the outfits designed by her own mother, empowered by the spiritual strength she received from her father. And at that moment, I am reminded again of Walt Disney’s words: “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” So doesn’t that make Anudi our very own Mayflower of the nation? If one of our young women can become strong enough to offer us inspiration today, then while wishing her all the best... Why are we so late to follow Anudi’s leads? Asks I’m Erandi.
