Dedicating this one to a dear friend of mine on here Susan ( Blush ) . She is an amazing person with a heart of gold ! been through so much with cancer - surgerys doctors and recovery..., yet she still finds time to come on here and give and share so lovingly... SO today I wanted to give her a big virtual hug with this flower that represents good health. (psst... had another one up this morning of a little water lily from hunnington ,but knew I was going to go out on this new shoot and wanted to wait for something new from today 's shoot to give ya.) Have had you on my heart so much lately and wanted to let you know you have been in my prayers and thoughts -love ya sis! Woke up at 5 am and drove to Echo Park -near downtown LA -and saw some of the biggest and beautiful lotus flowers and lotuses I have ever seen!! ( Georgy on here went with me we sure had a wonderful morning shooting!! -lol but unlike her -I am Not used to getting up so early lol!!! had 30 minutes sleep last night and starting to feel it !! LOL! ) SO so beautiful this GIANT Lotus pond- quite a spectacular thing to see!! ( this flower here was about as big as my hand so you can imagine how big the lilie pad were!!! ) the lilies pads or leaves are so massive (like 2-4 feet across ) - it looks surreal infact. I will never forget the experiance!! People come all over the world to see it and shoot it there in Echo park!! Georgia told me there are only a few places in the world like it!! here is a little info on the lotus flower here : _______________ The Lotus ___________________ The flowering head of the Lotus plant has been a symbol of spirituality in India for thousands of years. The life cycle of the Lotus plant begins when a Lotus seed finds its way into the sediments at the bottom of some warm little pond somewhere. Though barely able to see the light through the murky water, the new shoot strives upwards until eventually it bursts into the light, bringing the beauty of its delicate petals to the pool's surface. During their development, the plants filter and purify the body of water in which they find themselves, making the water transparent. According to a traditional saying, the more muddy and opaque the water is to start with, the more beautiful the Lotus flower is when it arrives. Traditionally, Lotus flowers have been associated with the chakras. Flowers with larger numbers of petals being associated with higher centres. One of the most important yoga poses for meditation is named padmasana, or 'Lotus posture'. Lotus flowers have a long history of use as meditative objects, no doubt due - in part - to their similarities to mandalas. The life cycle of these flowers may be seen as symbolising the evolution of the individual - who is born in darkness and strives to reach the light. . Differant countrys have differant meanings with this beautiful flower ..In India the meaning the lotus flower represents health and long life. Thank you for all your time and comments! love to you all!! ((( BIg Hugs )) ~ ♥ ~Kimmers ! :O)