Bonnie at Words From a Wordsmith recently posted a very moving piece that has inspired me to rise to the draw of Spring.
Let us dig deep, to find the dead, rotted roots and bring them out.
Let us prune away the dead branches that sap energy but give no life.
Let us refresh ourselves, reach for the sun, and blossom in all our natural beauty.
Cecilia and I are standing under the lilac bush. She touches the dead branches that are protruding from the ground at our feet and states resolutely that these dead branches are going to be pruned away, cut off at the base, because they take energy away from the bush and hinder its growth.
"We must trim away all the dead so that it can grow." she says, looking meticulously at every limb.
And I stood there, awash in a moment of epiphany.
Wholly bathed in the light of realization.
What dead, useless rubbish is within me that I hold on to and shouldn't?
What old rotted roots and branches hinder my growth and drain me of energy?
What could I cut away that would enable me to grow and breathe deeply? To blossom?
Oh... how long is this list?
I carry dead weight with me. I do. For what purpose? Who knows.
I hold on to the experience and the lesson; when I should only hold the lesson.
I didn't realize that my shadows are flat and empty... instead of deep and dark and full of mysterious necessities that I couldn't possibly understand or let go of.
I definitely need to prune. Need to dig up the dead and toss it overboard. Need to release everything that does not enrich my soul, my life... and the lives of others. Need to let the past be the fleeting shadow that it is. Something that is gone as soon as it happens. How can I hold so tightly to something that does not exist now? Carve away the things that weigh me down, bind my wings, and tether my feet... how did I ever believe that the shadows were strong? They are nothing but places without light.
Whether material or not... it is time to clean out the old.
It's Spring... what a perfect time to garden and grow.
Reach for the sun, and grow indeed.
Happy Spring!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
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22 comments:
What a wonderful and insightful post, Scarlett! It reminds me of a line I read recently - let go of your past if it no longer serves you. Similar sort of thing especially since most of our dead branches took root in the earth of our past.
Amen.
You know, this is in the bible. "I am the vine, you are the branches..." Funny thing about branches is that they don't produce the fruit, they just hold them. The beauty of the fruit comes from the vine. You are right about pruning, but let the Gardner do it. He alone knows what beautiful fruit you will bare, and where it will grow in your life.
Vanilla!
YAY! You are back! Glad to see it, and congratulations again on your marriage!
Can't wait to come visit and hear the latest...
Chesca,
And Amen again.
Thank you
Dearest sweet Hyppie Chick,
I love it that you dwell in bottomless depth. It's comfortable for me there, with you... it is our natural environment.
More than anything, I love it when we hold hands and traverse the depths together; it couldn't be done properly without a best friend.
Bless you, love you.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
I totally agree you should only hang on to the lesson you learnt from things. But often the time has to be right to let go, you can't really force it like you prune a tree, at least in my experience.
Hello Marjolein,
Welcome!
I think you are wise... it does need to come in its own time, and for me, that's now.
It's been a long time coming.
Happy Spring.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
I was pruning shrubs in the garden today, and now I read this---the universe is telling me something!! You're so right about the dead wood we drag around with us. Time to lop it off! Thanks for the timely encouragement....And welcome back!
So very true. Sometimes it's so hard to pull that dead stuff up from the roots, though, isn't it? Stubborn little suckers, as my mom would say.
Yes it's a great time to garden and grow. Thank you for reminding us :)
Miss Molly!
Well hello, lady!
The universe tells me quite a bit too, and sometimes when I'm not listening closely enough, it bops me on the head.
Glad you are heeding whatever message you are getting.
~To the growth that spring brings!
Dear Sognatrice,
HA ha ha... they are stubborn little suckers. Your mom is right!
Can't wait for her to be there with you, that's going to be so wonderful!
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
That was a really great post, Scarlett... I think we could all do with a bit of metaphorical pruning. I know I could. x
Hey Girl!
Well, really, we all could.
Glad you liked it, and glad to see you again!
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Scarlett,
Habits. It's a tedious habit that we haul all that old useless stuff around, weighing us down and slowing our growth process. As you say, it's the lesson we learn in the dragging that illuminates us and points us in the direction of pruning. It is a continuous process and we must be vigilant and keep reminding ourselves....What better time than spring and a one year anniversary and a 101th post.
rel
Rel,
You are wise, kind and very deep. I like that about you.
I think you must me a saint of sorts.
Dr. Saint.
That's you, isn't it! I *KNEW* it!
Thank you sir,
Big hugs
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Hi, Scarlett! I have a surprise for you over on my blog this morning. :-)
Christina,
Thank you so much!
That is so very nice. I'll post a review when I've finished the book.
YAY! We won!
RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!
;o)
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Loved this writing, so thought provoking! I'm going off to think now...happy spring to you too.
To everything there is a season; and so it is with pruning: tulips in the summer, fruit trees in spring, buddleia and asparagus in the fall.
Prune but prune wisely, in good time, at the proper time, neither too little or too much at once.
Good to hear you'll be posting more.
Ah dead wood, how we love our sentimental rot. If we can set it down for a while, it doesn't look the same when we come back to it. Lighter limbs, non-attachment, room for new...
Hullo Jon!
Glad to see you here. Yes... going off to find a thoughtful place to think is a very good idea.
I shall do that as well.
ECD,
I can *almost* hear the music to those words.
Very well written, as always.
Pearl,
HA! Sentimental rot... you nailed it on the head. Must renew.
Thank you lady, you have such a gift for combining simplicity with depth.
Scarlett & Viaggiatoer
What a beautiful and timely reminder that we all carry dead wood within us which hinders our growth and blooming.
Thank you for sharing your lovely epiphany with us. I've been thinking along those very lines with regard to my own "Spring cleaning," but nowhere near as poetically.
You are a treasure, Scarlett.
s...i have missed checking in with you during this crazy year...hope i can connect more often now...r
Dear Hearts,
Thank you, lady. I disagree... you are poetic in a very honest and keen way, and I always enjoy it.
To renewal... of body, mind, and soul.
Hi Rebecca!
Very nice to see you, it's been a while. Hope that your life is less crazy soon, and I look forward to blog visits with you soon.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
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