Planted or potted?

Having just passed the traditional garden planting weekend, I would like to offer a thought for your consideration. Are you planted or potted? I came across this distinction in one of my favourite meditation tomes by Iylana Vanzant and it struck a chord.

Potted plants can be knocked over or turned over and very easily uprooted. A strong wind or careless movement may destroy a potted plant. They may be very beautiful to look at, but they are fragile. They require intensive care and they die easily under adverse conditions.

Things which are planted have strong roots. They are usually outdoors and able to withstand the winds and the storms. When something is planted, it makes the best of adverse conditions by grabbing on to whatever is available until things get better. When something is planted, it may be nibbled on by varmints; it may be stepped on by the careless; it will be pushed and prodded, but never uprooted. Planting requires reliance on God. Potting is subject to the whims of humans.

I suppose that I would wish for all who read this to have the strong roots of the planted and the glorious foliage of the potted. What do you think?

Let's put the FUN in funky

I recently came across a quote by cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien which tickled my fancy. She mused that her grandmother told her, " Never hide your green hair-they can see it anyway. "

Serendipity struck almost immediately when I found myself dutifully doing my time on the treadmill at the gym in front of the TV. I looked up and what should I see but book editor Sandra Martin discussing her latest effort while sporting brilliant green hair! Now this is not a trendy young woman but a lady of "a certain age". No hiding here, just a joyous acceptance of a very personal style. Right on sister!

Maybe it is time, as the lighthearted season of spring is upon us, to look at how we can express ourselves in a new way and celebrate our own unique style. Now I am not advocating anything as daring as green hair but I am sure we could all benefit from taking a few well chosen chances. Let your imagination go. What would you suggest to make your statement? I leave this one up to you. Let me know. I, for one, am hunting down a wildly floral dress, and yes, I hope it helps me break out of the overly cautious choices I tend to make. Be on the lookout!

Giggles

I am feeling the call of the milder weather and an increasing lightness of spirit as well as clothing. With that in mind, I am simply going to offer some gentler observations for your consideration.

Whenever I have to choose between two evils, I always like to try the one I haven't tried before. (Mae West)

Sound really does travel slower than light- that advice parents give to their eighteen year old doesn't reach them until they are about forty. ( Anonymous)

Truth is more of a stranger than fiction. (Mark Twain)

In the Book of Life, the answers aren't in the back. (Charlie Brown)

Reporters interviewing a 104 year old woman: " What do you think is the best thing about being 104?" She simply replied, "No peer pressure"

Why are there five syllables in the word monosyllable?

Black Holes are where God divided by zero.( Steven Wright)

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Breaking free!

After having experienced the delightful meteorological respite of last Friday I thought of how anxiously we await the days when we can finally doff our winter duds and embrace a less encumbered body. What though of the emotional layers that we carry: the secrets we hide, the poor choices that haunt our daily life, the foolish actions which our pride keeps us from acknowledging? Do these weigh us down as effectively as woolens and leather? Do they keep us in a box of restrictions?

I recently came across a wonderful quote in a novel I was reading. It describes a young woman on the brink of discovering her place in the world. It resonated with me so strongly that I would like to share it with you and see how you feel.

Maybe her secrets and misgivings have not yet driven themselves through her skin to pop out on the surface of her life.

I am fascinated by this image of all the hidden foibles of our lives needing to rupture the protective coating of our public person in order for us to fly free psychically as well as physically. I also know that we cannot do this on our own. A loving and understanding hand, extended across our barriers is the transport that will propel us upward. Like a Jack-in-the-Box, finally released by a child's hand, we will bounce joyfully free. What a wonderful way to embrace a new 'spring' season! Would you agree?

As we approach the celebration of Valentine's Day and all its inherent romantic, commercial excess, I wonder what we really think it means to love someone.

I received a missive recently in which children were asked, "What does love mean?" As I was reading through it, I was brought up short by this observation from a four year old! He said that when someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth. My heart skipped a beat. In its childlike simplicity, can you imagine anything more profound? We take into ourselves the true essence of our loved one and within our being they know a feeling of warmth, acceptance, and security. Their spirit as well as their body is safe with us. In fact, the two cannot be separated.

May the loving way in which you speak the name of your beloved(s) this Valentine's Day and every day forward be uttered with the constant, gentle, and innocent expression of our truest feelings. What do you think?

Up front, I want to be clear. I truly enjoy a juicy blueberry, strawberry , or a raspberry. I frequent my local liberry, and I own many pieces of art by Gilberry. However, I do not own a BlackBerry. How have I survived organizing my daily commitments in order to write this?

I am now quite enthralled with my little iPod, but do not own an iPhone or an iPad. The only Facebook I see is if I am looking at a tome on make-up tricks. The only Twitter I really enjoy is the one the birds make when Max goes out to feed them.

Today, too often the only communication we seem capable of is with our thumbs. On that note I would like to give a" thumbs up" to Charles Dickens, who penned this thought over 150 years ago. Could this be the ghost of Communication Present reminding us of Communication Past and cautioning us to be wary of Communication Future?

"Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone, who with their soul, encourages another person to be brave and true."

I do recognize the value in personal electronic communication. Otherwise you would not be reading this. However, would you agree that, given a choice, you would rather share time with a person than with a qwerty?

A Revelation for Your Resolution

As we begin a new year it seems we are inundated with media calls to make the dreaded New Year's Resolution. The problem I have with this is that it assumes that we are somehow not right the way we are. Now, I do realize that we all have room for improvement in our lives but I wonder if it is necessary to make the major changes that are trumpeted from the rooftops.

I will offer for your consideration this option. We are each totally unique human beings and this is stamped most effectively in our DNA. At one time I did look up the scientific meaning for this acronym and my eyesight as well as my mind boggled at the actual word. How about this possibility? Our DNA allows us to Discover New Attitudes. Great! Now, watch what happens when we change one small letter. Simply change the first "t" in attitudes to a "p" and we now are able to Discover New Aptitudes. Wait, it gets better. Now change the "p" to an "l" and we can now Discover New Altitudes. The sky can be the limit, one small letter and one small step at a time. What do you think?