A rose is a rose is a rose.

I asked my friend, Molly, on Facebook today what she thinks of when she sees a long rose arbor tunnel. She said, "It's different for everyone, but for me it's like a gateway to another place. It brings me back to folklore and fairy tales. Time slows down, your senses sharpen, and your guard falls. But the rose itself tends to be classic and aged, resilient and delicate."

How many people have passed through these arbors in Hartford's Elizabeth Park over the years? How many have stopped in the tunnel to forget the world around them and just smell the roses? Many arbors are older than the people that have passed through them. In fact, Molly remembered one near her home that was almost a century old and, "It always reminded me of my impermanence in the world when I think how many people passed through it before me that are now gone."

I guess some people are like roses. They are resilient and stay with us year after year, yet they are delicate and we need to be careful how we treat them, how we care for them and nurture them. But there are a lot of thorns along the way, so handle with care. Yes, roses also need to be pruned, but if done correctly, they grow stronger and more vibrant. They become an integral part of the arbor of our life.

What does the rose arbor tunnel mean to you?