Lessons of Life From a Desert Rose

Finding connection in Iran’s Central Desert

Rose harvesting time in Qamsar, Iran. Photo credit: Nadine Bjursten

It takes three to four weeks for the thirty-two pink petals of the damask rose to open, and the closer it gets, the more its scent fills the air. The rose, however, has one day of splendor before the petals start to lighten and then loosen, to then be carried off by the desert wind. Its fragrance reaches its peak that same morning…