I love plants, nature, all things green- in fact my favorite color is green! BUT- I do not have a "green-thumb"! I am NOT a keeper of plants--but oh, every once in a while I do acquire a plant and I always hope it will be different this time. And sometimes it is! So when a friend who was moving offered this great, big, beautiful plant to me--I had the "perfect place" for it! So I said, sure I'll take it!
When I got home the "perfect place" was not ready yet. So I figured I’d leave it outside, and it seemed happy out on the front porch. But then I guess the sun might have been too strong so part of it started wilting. So then I turned it around to give the wilting side time to recover. But it didn’t’ recover and then the other side starting wilting. And then really, the plant was not happy anymore. So I brought it to the back yard as it was just not appealing to anyone coming to our front door anymore. And before you knew it, this plant had brown, brown leaves. I just felt so bad and guilty for having killed it. Such a familiar feeling for me when plants come into my care and then don’t do well.
I kept this plant out in the backyard, month after month- wondering when I was going to get around to putting it in the compost. One heatwave passed, it the plant was looking as dead as can be. Then another heatwave passed, and we had been on vacation a couple times and so I just had too many other things to tend to- especially with the kids home for summer break. So it continued to sit, looking…well, dead…
THEN, the most amazing thing happened! I was walking alongside the window (it’s a full length window), saw the usual sad looking, brownest of brown droopy leaves…AND a did a double take! There was a NEW GREEN plant coming out of the bottom!!!! I was just in the most unbelief possible! How could this “dead” plant- for months—with no water and lots of heat—now be sprouting new life?! And immediately so many metaphors came to me about…life…And well since I’m also a “coach”, of course I can’t help but share here! :) I'll just talk about two.
Patience—you know the feeling…When you just want something to happen NOW?! (Just like in my previous blog post.) Well sometimes, it’s just not the right time. BUT that doesn’t mean that the time won’t come. We just have to trust that when it’s right, we will sprout, grow, change, come alive again. It WILL happen, just maybe not in the timing we want. But in the mean time, we can still have hope…
Things aren’t always how they appear. Nope, they aren’t. I, my husband and my kids ALL thought this plant was dead! But it wasn’t! Sometimes things look like they just aren’t going to work out. An opportunity is missed or a door is closed and it seems like all hope is lost…But then suddenly another possibility comes along: you get that phone-call, that e-mail, that “sign” that yes, in fact all is okay after all. And even sometimes, just like that new green plant- it was so small, almost hidden really—you’re just not looking in the right places for the right opportunity for YOU!
Sometimes we need someone else to help us realize the possibilities as we’re working toward a dream or putting a plan into motion. If you’re feeling a little hopeless and helpless about what’s next, reach out. I’d love to help you find your little green plant of hope! E-mail me at: wholefullyou@gmail.com