Find a comfortable seat,
A way of sitting,
A way of being that feels centered,
Grounded.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Relax your shoulders down your back and settle in.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
If you've listened to me before,
You've probably heard me mention that I inherited a plethora of gardens when I moved into my new house.
Now that we are almost into summer,
Everything is up and blooming,
Flowers and weeds alike.
As I was walking in my yard the other day,
I saw a milkweed growing out of the heart of one of my rose bushes,
And because I am me,
I could not decide what to do.
It's a weed that feeds monarchs and is where they lay their eggs.
I know the gardeners out there would probably tell me I should get rid of it before it launches a thousand seeds,
And I am soon overrun with weeds.
Inhale,
Exhale.
But the other weeds would whisper,
Have you ever noticed how we survive in the worst conditions?
Let the milkweed be a testament to rising.
Inhale,
Exhale.
A bonsai treat artists might urge,
Let the roses speak for themselves.
Remove the weed for beauty's sake.
Inhale,
Exhale.
The caterpillar,
Of course,
Would be the last to arrive,
Since she has to inch her way along the top of the world.
Listen,
She would say,
Life can turn you into a broken-down mess.
When that happens,
Find a place to curl in,
Nest.
Let this stretch of existence be simple.
Eat.
Breathe.
Stay.
Still.
Gather the good.
Let time work on you.
One day you will find yourself ready to weave the beautiful together and burst out in new and glorious form.
And when you do that,
You will find the rosebush tossing blossoms into the sky to celebrate.
Inhale.
Exhale.
I've decided to leave the milkweed,
But I killed the thistle,
Even though it would have offered the world a pretty purple flower.
And Alice Walker warns us in the color purple that God gets annoyed when we don't appreciate the color purple in the world.
And still,
I decided it had to go.
Inhale.
Exhale.
How do you decide what to keep in your life?
How do you decide what to let go?
The answer is never easy because the answer is pretty much always,
It depends.
It means it takes time.
It takes a keen eye and a discerning mind to decide what will bring the most good,
The most beauty,
What will help to usher in the common good,
What uplifts,
What weighs down,
What will bring you to your fullest,
Most blossomed self in the long run.
Only you can answer those questions.
But for me,
That's the takeaway,
An examined life,
As they say,
An intentional life.
It's up to you.
What will you welcome?
What will you allow to grow?
Inhale.
Exhale.
Give light.
