The little girl began to notice the garden at her house.

She was enchanted by a red flower: bougainville.

 Still on the lap, she asked her father to get closer. She wanted to see with her hands and smell its perfume.

When pulling a small colored branch, most of the petals accidentally detached. They were now in the tiny palm.

She had left the branch of the scarlet plant almost without clothes. The child got scared. The branch bounced back swiftly.

She looked at her father as if to say: I did not mean to hurt it…

Then she made an unexpected gesture. She stretched her little arm, holding the loose petals still in her hands and fished again for the flowers that had remained on the branch.

She wanted to give back what she had taken from the now half-naked flower.

The father was out of action. His first impulse was to say that it was not possible, however, he accepted his daughter´s wish and let her gently tune out the parts that were still in the bush.

Anyway, for the girl, the situation was resolved. For the father, though, it was not. He kept the loose petals in his thoughts.

*    *    *

Is it possible to give back a petal to a flower?

Botanists will surely say and prove not. Once removed, they do not return anymore. There is no way to glue, sew or cause any kind of regeneration.

Just like time; just as the words we speak; just like the actions. There is no way to undo what was done, what was said, what happened.

We hurt someone deeply and apologize. Are we trying to give back torn petals?

So, let us get back to the original matter: is it possible to give back a petal to a flower?

Everything leads us to accept no as the most reasonable answer, or the only plausible one. Sad answer.

On the other hand, if the childish naivety and purity believed it was possible, maybe we may believe it possible, but in a different way.

What if we decided to take care of that tree in a special way, looking at it every day, just like the Little Prince once took care of his rose?

Pay attention to what it needs and do not let it miss anything. Take care of the soil, keeping it fertile.

Always talk, saying how beautiful it is, follow its growth and be there, thrilled, when finally, new petals are born in the place of the missing ones.

Maybe it will be our way of giving back…

And if we cannot give back exactly that flower for some reason, we could fulfill our mission in the same way, with others. Understanding that our debt is to nature as a whole.

*   *   *

Man always suffers the consequence of his faults. There is not a single violation of God´s law that goes without the corresponding punishment.

As long as the guilty one cries out for mercy, God listens to him and grants him hope. But it is not enough to simply regret the harm done.

Reparation is necessary, so the guilty person is subjected to new tests in which he can, always willingly, do good, repairing the wrong he has done.

His happiness or his misfortune depends on the willingness to do good.

Spirititst Moment Team, based on the chronicle Das pétalas
arrancadas, by Andrey Cechelero and on chapter XXVII, item 21
from the book O Evangelho Segundo o Espiritismo, by Allan Kardec,
publisher FEB.
January, 16.2020.