Peonies are the princesses of the garden. Quite literally. They look like floral ballgowns, usually in varying shades of pink. But. It’s not easy to get peonies to bloom. Usually the first year is a bust with no blooms. And if your peonies are difficult princesses, they will leave you emptyhanded the second year too. But usually by the third year, bingo, the most gorgeous flowers you’ve ever seen.

They also attract ants. Lots of them. The first time I saw mine swarming with tiny black invaders, I panicked. I was this close to blasting the whole flower bed with the garden hose and declaring war. But thankfully, I Googled first.

Turns out… the ants are helping.

They’re drawn to the sugary coating on the buds, and as they crawl around doing whatever it is ants do, they actually assist in the blooming process. So when I make my morning rounds in the garden, watching my peonies covered in ants like it’s a bug rave, I remind myself of an important lesson: not every “nuisance” is actually a problem.

The things bothering you at work? At home? The ideas that seem to have a million wrinkles? The project upset that seemingly sends you back to square one? The carefully planned budget that upended? The cake you baked and followed the directions to the letter and it still fell flat in the middle? They might be your ants.

Sometimes friction is just energy in disguise. It might be the very thing that helps your work/creativity/life/family break open and bloom.

So maybe hold off on the hose.

Let the ants do their thing.