Light from a Rose

WE have been working hard to figure out what landscaping “works” in our front and back yards. I have discovered that a LOT of the pretty plants that we think would look good, do not like the overload of sun, or in some places the too much shade, or the clay soil, or the lack or abundance of water…depending on the season.

But recently we decided to plant a red bud tree in the front yard. We have been successfully growing grapefruit trees in pots on our patio, and so we felt like this little pretty tree would be a good option, until recently when one of my family members said that I needed to spray “neem” on the leaves because the leaves looked like they were diseased.

I had just “looked up” the red-bud tree online and discovered that this tree is “deciduous” which means that it loses its leaves in the fall every year. So when I was told that I needed to spray the leaves, I happily said that NO I did not need to spray because the tree is “deciduous”.

It was fun to see the blank look on the face because, like the rest of my family, I had no idea what deciduous meant until I looked it up…lol. How reassuring to know that this little tree, which was beautiful when we planted it, is still doing well in spite of the dead looking leaves and is saving up energy in buds for the spring when it will again be full of bright green leaves and maybe even red flowers.

Did you know that depression is deciduous? Did you know that addiction is deciduous? Did you know that pain is deciduous? All these things might seem like they are forever a problem, can actually be easily shed, just like the leaves on a tree, to begin afresh and anew. Or to begin afresh like the song RESTART by newsboys.

We might feel like we are finished, game over…might feel like we cannot carry the weight on our shoulders…might feel like on our end we are in trouble, and knocked down on the ground seeing double…. like the lyrics to that song Restart…great song.

But have you ever seen a tree reach down and pick back up those dead leaves and try to wear them? Nature knows that is ridiculous and yet that is what many people try to do with their dead, broken or diseased “leaves”. Do not pick up what is necessarily gone and instead shed the bad for what is good.

There is something so wonderfully fresh and yet vulnerable about the winter trees devoid of their leaves, full of sparkling snow in anticipation of spring and new growth. In the same way, people who realize it is NATURAL to shed vice and become vulnerable and open and NEW are also wonderful to see.

Trees take care of themselves that way. Trees do not shed leaves that are useful, and the varieties which do not shed, have ways to ensure their water supply because they are either succulents and hold water that way, or have waxy leaves like magnolias, so that the water does not evaporate.

Are we taking care of our lives the way trees do and shedding what is damaging or not serving us well? Are we drinking enough water? Are we outside in the fresh air walking and using our talents to the best of our ability?

There are not many people who would drive a car without water in the radiator or without gas or oil, because driving without oil will bust a block and driving with water in the gas tank is severely damaging to the engine. And yet there ARE people who continue to insist on “driving their car” with thoughts that act like water in the “engine” because the movies and shows they consume, like depressive thoughts, are damaging to the soul.

Porn, graphic violence and fear are tools of evil and I have walked in on seemingly rational people who take GREAT care of their cars, actually watching garbage shows where a guy is talking about pulling out his wiener because he thought that the girl wanted to F***.

Total trash or …actually water in the gas tank. And I have been guilty of it as well but now I am getting good at turning off shows as soon as I can see that they are dark or full of negative images…and I am REALLY GOOD at going outside for walks, painting, writing and doing other things besides being inside in front of a screen.

Each bad show someone continues to watch, is like a nail in the tire…can’t drive very far when the mind is full of garbage or when a tire is full of nails. (two and a half men is a good example of a seemingly innocent show and yet it is trash…in my opinion… and the boy Jones, who played the kid in the show, has rejected it as well)

In late 2012, Jones continued to follow his path to his religious faith and was eventually baptized. Shortly after his baptism, Jones admitted to no longer wanting to appear on Two and a Half Men. He called the show “filth” and said it conflicted with his religious views. Jones also encouraged people to stop watching the show.

“Jake from Two and a Half Men means nothing. He is a non-existent character,” Jones explained. “If you watch Two and a Half Men, please stop watching Two and a Half Men. I’m on Two and a Half Men and I don’t want to be on it. Please stop watching it and filling your head with filth. People say it’s just entertainment. Do some research on the effects of television and your brain, and I promise you you’ll have a decision to make when it comes to television, especially with what you watch.”

There are more shows that are bad than there are shows that are good…and that is why people are canceling Netflix, Hulu, Disney plus and more. No one wants to use their own head as a garbage can for these companies to dump trash into. So as I am writing this, I am unable to get a LIVE person on Xfinity to cancel subscriptions and the last time I did this, I was able to reduce the cost from 350.00 a month to 300.00 a month. THAT IS STILL CRIMINAL COST…and XFINITY needs to get their sh*t together and make it easier for married couples to communicate our preferences…should we just stop paying the bill? lol.

It is important to understand that the thoughts that we allow to “hold real estate” in our heads, dictate our behavior…so we want to HOLD ON to thoughts that are good and SHED thoughts that are negative, weak, fearful or angry.

So, if a person suffers from depression, that belief of a problem, might seem like a good excuse to stay in bed and do nothing but that is NOT what deciduous trees do when things get diseased or damaged. THEY SHED THE BAD LEAVES. They take action and do something good for themselves. So should we all.

It is only natural to shed that which is dark, limited, diseased or damaged. We do not need to “hold on” to these “leaves”. And a tree that is not trying to maintain dead or damaged leaves, can use that energy to produce something better and more beautiful than before.

There might be snow on the branches, but the trees still reach for the light and the snow does not stop the light… and light can be like a kiss from a rose… so they say.