Purple Iris 3

For thousands of years, the iris rhizome was used for medicinal purposes and for perfumes and cosmetics. For instance, in 1876, Italy shipped 10,000 tons of dried iriz rhizome to other countries, including the United States. Modern chemistry has elimated the need for irises in both the drug and perfume industries, so their only value today is beauty.

These days, perhaps beauty is in shorter supply than drugs and perfumes, so the need for irises is not diminished. In the same way, those who are aging or disabled are just as important to us as they were when they could work and be "productive." Perhaps each person's most valuable contribution to the world is just to "be."

By the way, this purple iris lives and blooms at the St. Louis Zoo.