This time of year, in the silence of the woods, you may find spring Trilliums. They always seem so mystical – drawing us in with their white or purple petals yet feel somewhat foreign and untouchable. 

Many of us as children remember when we would go walking or playing in the woods, our parents telling us to not pick these unique flowers. We could look, admire, but we couldn’t touch. They are beautiful flowers of the spring, but the story goes that if you pick them, they will never grow back. That’s sad for a child, and sobering to an adult, as we read about plant species disappearing.  The hope is that everyone’s parents told them the same thing, and we can protect these special gifts from Nature.

But perhaps it is just a myth.  For those of us that are curious, Here is what Wikipedia states:

“Picking parts of a trillium plant, flowers, stems, can kill it, even if the roots are left undisturbed.  Picking them seriously injures the plant by preventing the leaf-like leaves below the flower from producing food for the next year, killing the plant, and ensuring none will grow in its place.  Some species of trillium are listed as threatened or endangered.  In the US it is illegal to pick them in Michigan and Minnesota.  In New York, it is illegal to pick the red trillium.  And it takes about 15 years to grow a trillium from a seed.

Indeed these are precious flowers that Nature has gifted us, but we need to leave them alone! 

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There are things in our lives that are sacred and should not be messed with.   Here are a few beliefs we believe are certainly untouchable:

1. The opportunity to make mistakes.  We find powerful learning opportunities when we make a mistake.  Let’s not throw out this behavior.

 2. Our right to be quiet during the day…. without feeling compelled to chat or engage with everyone.   Some days we just don’t want to talk, and it’s ok to chill.

3.  And our all-time favorite: The Golden Rule and its connection to inclusivity. This is sacred.  Like the Trillium, the Golden Rule will become extinct if we don’t revere it as something valued and precious.

Take the time to reflect on the universal sacred ‘trilliums” in your life that should be allowed to “live and let live”.