In much of life, beginnings are often very different than their final form. Pictured above we see a few colorful and rather unimpressive leaves. These leaves however will eventually transform into a beautiful red Rose.
At other times, our first contact with something is at the middle or end of its cycle. In the case of the Rose, we are attracted to its beauty and fragrance, and then we discover that it arises from a bed of thorns!
Thus the Rose teaches us that we should never pass judgment on something. Rather, we need to remember that transformation often plays a critical role in creation, and that what we see or experience in a given moment, may only be a passing phase in a cycle of life.