This is an opportunity to pause and take a breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Bring a slight smile to your lips.
Relax your jaw.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
Let's consider the thistle.
Thistles are,
By nature,
Covered in prickles.
And these prickles are designed to protect the thistle against herbivores.
Think about it.
If you were a rabbit or a deer,
Wouldn't you choose sweet and soft clover instead of getting a spiny mouthful?
Prickles provide protection.
In fact,
The thistle is the national flower of Scotland.
They used to let it run wild in their fields.
Since people walked around barefoot,
At least during the summer,
Being surrounded by blankets of thistles protected you from being attacked at night.
Like a thistle,
You might have your own particular prickles.
Ways of being that keep you safe.
And they are important.
Your beautiful spirit should never be chewed up and spit out by another creature or,
Heaven forbid,
Attacked.
Prickles can protect us and they can also make us particular,
Unique.
Maybe you hate robins.
Maybe you hate coffee or ketchup or Oreos.
Maybe you hate the sound of ice being chewed and you aren't afraid to let everyone know it.
And what is sarcasm but socially acceptable prickles?
So prickles can keep us safe.
Prickles can make us interesting,
But they can also end up keeping others away.
So how do we find that balance?
Well,
If you are familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs,
You know that safety is one of the most important needs that we as humans want to meet.
It's just one step above our basic needs,
Having food and water.
So feeling safe is what we need to do in order to continue moving up Maslow's hierarchy.
In order to move toward things like self-esteem and self-actualization,
Which means that place where we become our fullest,
Most living and embodied self.
So protecting yourself to feel safe is a good thing until it isn't.
Until we take it too far.
So if you are alive,
You have been hurt by the sidewalks of the world,
By a lamppost or a pig,
And probably in particular by the other homo sapiens strolling around.
Sometimes you might develop prickles to protect yourself from any and all hurts.
It's easier to prevent and keep everything away rather than to be vulnerable and allow something in.
Inhale.
Exhale.
But haven't we all seen that movie or read that book where Krusty Kermudgen meets Holly or Harry Hopeful?
And in time,
After all kinds of endearing encounters,
The Kermudgen puts down the prickles,
Or most of them anyways,
And begins to blossom and shine.
However,
Most of these stories end with the Kermudgen usually dying and leaving the hero all of their money and an awesome house.
So is the lesson then to be nice to the Kermudgen so we get their money?
Tempting,
But I don't think so.
I think the lesson might be to look at our prickles with a sense of curiosity.
Where did this come from?
How did it get planted here?
How have I fed the thistle?
Let it run wild and take cover?
What might it be protecting me from?
But what might it also be keeping away?
How might I clear the way around me so that others may approach with joy and ease?
Because then I can step forward and meet them with joy and ease.
Inhale.
Exhale.
One last thing.
Be careful and gentle with your thistles.
This kind of attention takes patience and time.
And you know what?
A thistle here and there isn't bad.
It's what it means to be human.
And sometimes those thistles even bloom.
So live,
Breathe,
Soften,
Open,
Blossom,
And shine.
Namaste.
