A Time to Cut Back
The purpose of pruning is to improve the quality of the roses, not to hurt the bush. —Florence Littauer
I have a plant that sits on the corner of my desk in my classroom. It has been with me since my first day of teaching 15 years ago. It has moved to three different classrooms and two different buildings, and it has survived it all.
I keep the plant in my classroom during the summer break and go in once a week to water it. This past summer was difficult. I may not have been as diligent in keeping a watering schedule. I may have neglected it, as I have neglected many personal areas in my life this past year.
As late July arrived and I began to set up my classroom, I noticed the plant was not doing well. Most of the stems were leafless, and what leaves it did have were limp and looked like wet tissue paper. I was afraid I had killed it, and I was devastated. Through all the changes in my teaching career, this plant had remained the one constant.
I had two choices: let it die or do something drastic. Because of our long history, I chose to do something drastic. I pulled off the dead leaves, cut back the stems, and added some fresh potting soil. It looked pretty silly—kind of like Medusa with green snakes crawling out of the pot. But I knew if I wanted to save it, I had to help it focus its energy on growing, and cutting it back was the only option.
For months, the plant just sat on the corner of my desk barely alive, yet I continued to water it. One day I noticed something green coming from one of the stems. As I looked closer, I also saw tiny tips of new leaves pushing their way up through the soil. I began to see new growth.
We all have our own set of challenges to face. We may have struggled to water and nourish ourselves. We may have neglected our own self-care until we have turned into a plant with limp, brown leaves and in need of pruning.
How do we nourish ourselves in times like these? How do we take care of ourselves when we are pulled in so many other directions? How do we continue to grow even when we neglect ourselves?
After seeing those new green leaves reaching for the light, I found an inner strength. Walking and eating better became my focus of energy and a way to nourish myself. I began to say no to things I didn’t have the time for. I found time for unexpected creativity. Most importantly, I realized sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to cut back, to prune the busyness and responsibilities of our daily lives in order for new growth to happen.
Shine on!
Leigh Anne Eck
Featured Contributor
No comments:
Post a Comment