Springtime in Texas
When we think springtime in Texas, we think bluebonnets. The beauty of roadsides and fields covered in these beautiful, bright blue flowers gives Texans the feeling of home. The bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. This unique flower is a genuine Texas treasure as it blooms throughout mostly central, eastern and southeastern Texas during March and April.
It is called the bluebonnet for their petals shaped like pioneer bonnets. The flower grows in the wild population along with Indian paintbrush and many other forms of various wildflowers.
Some people come from all over the country and state to drive the scenic highways lined with fields of bluebonnets during this stunning time of year. This iconic flower is a symbol of the faith, pride, and beauty of the great state of Texas and the good people who live there. How did the Texas bluebonnet become such a big part of Texas?
Legend of the Bluebonnets Beginning
The legend goes that many years ago the land was inhabited by several Native American tribes. The weather was harsh and the people suffered through several years of devastating loss. Floods washed away their villages. Scorching summers fried their crops and food sources. Harsh winters caused several of their tribal members to suffer and die. The tribe knew that the Great Spirit was unhappy with them.
In order to preserve their lives and seek blessings from the Great Spirit for help, the tribal men gathered. As they sought to appease the Great Spirit they offered prayers, dances and gathered often to decide what to do. At one particular council, the Great Spirit heard their pleas and told them their people had grown greedy and selfish. In order to restore their food supply, have rainfall and escape the harsh weather they must offer the ultimate sacrifice and burn their most prized possession. Then they were to scatter the ashes across the land.
The council of men knew not exactly what to sacrifice. As they discussed the meaning, a small girl sat in the corner of the room with her head hung down. She held in her hands a most beloved cornhusk doll, with bright blue clothes and beautiful flowers in her hair. She loved her doll more than anything, and she knew what she must do to help her tribe.
Late in the night, the young girl snuck out while the village slept. She went to the top of a hill where she gathered logs and dried leaves. She started a fire and burnt her precious doll as an offering to the Great Spirit. As the fire went out, she gathered up the ashes. Then, stood at the top of the hill as she blew the ashes all across the land. She sadly watched as the wind carried them away in many different directions.
The next morning, the village woke up and were amazed to find lush, green fields full of bright, blue flowers. The bluebonnets were born as a symbol that the Great Spirit had accepted this little one’s sacrifices and would no longer plague the land.
This beautiful story reminds us all that we must put others before ourselves. The bluebonnet helps us remember we are all part of something bigger. A community of people who help, serve and lift up one another.