Week 2 Essay

*I am posting my papers that I am writing for my English class*

In week 2 our instructions were to write about overlooked beauty. We had to find something that many may not find beautiful and share with them why it is beautiful.

The Overlooked Beauty of a Cattail

Cattails are tall, stiff plants that can grow up to ten feet high. They grow in locations as beautiful as a quaint pond, a glorious lake or a rushing river. They can also grow in the most common lands of a marsh, a yucky swamp, drainage ditches and irrigation canals, all things I try to avoid. “It looks like a hot dog,” my son tells me. They are definitely not the most appealing plant with the most desirable location, nor do they portray an eye-catching beauty that would make one wish to make it a centerpiece for a grand celebration. Alone, they may be dull or even unattractive, but with a little grandpa love and child-like colors they have the capability to be magnificent.

When my daughter was four my dad invited her for her first trip out with Grandpa and the older kids. She had finally gotten big enough to go. It was an annual trip they took during the early parts of summer before all the cattails “popped.” While I didn’t actually attend this expedition, the stories told are priceless. While waiting for our explorers, my dad stumbled through the door soaked head to toe in pond water. He hadn’t quite yet perfected the art of “catching” a cattail. They grow in water; you’re taking a risk. Thank goodness we have yet to lose a child during such a “hunt.” Marching through the tall blades of grass and searching for the right one was the best part. Slipping in and out of a jungle of dense foliage was like the ultimate game of hide-and-seek with the world. Once the perfect cattail was chosen, Grandpa was beckoned to chop it down. With each child clutching their cherished “hot dog” in hand they would pack up and head for home. Once there, the tedious work would begin. Grandpa started out patiently teaching children how to carve or shave their cattails, but after an exasperated breath they would hand over their construction and Grandpa would finish the hard work. He usually lost most of them within the first few minutes. Next came the real fun. Pick a color, any color. Each child would lovingly color their ordinary plants with bright, vibrant colors and turn them into something extraordinary. Grandpa had to do the last part of carefully twisting the cattails in any direction creating a pattern of vigorous colors on an otherwise bland canvas. If you twisted too hard they would crumble to the ground in a puffy white mess. Grandpa had the perfect touch; the transformation was almost complete.

             Grandpa would hand over the remarkable cattails to Grandma. She would set them in a simple vase on the table and grandchildren would eagerly point out which one was theirs. This creation would sit there for weeks where many would adore them. Grandpa was proud of his centerpiece created by his artistic grandchildren. I never realized how precious that activity was until it no longer occurred. We still pick cattails every summer. We shave them and color them with the same delicate motions that Grandpa taught us. We don’t leave them on our table though. Instead, we take them to the cemetery and leave them on his headstone. With a simple act of love towards his grandchildren, my father taught a much superior lesson. Everything and everyone is beautiful. It may start off as dull and plain, but with some love, attention and time you can turn it into a thing of beauty.

                                      My daughter, Ali, with my dad for her

                               first & last cattail extravaganza with Grandpa.

                                                             Summer 2007

I received a 104% (you get extra credit if you send your paper into the writing center at BYU)