A couple years back, I fell in love with a particular type of flower that grew in the yard of my parents' neighbour. I had mentioned it and my mom and I arranged to get a slip from the gardener. In the end I got two slips and for a while I had them on my gallery waiting to plant. Well months passed before someone else planted them, one in a place that made no sense to me and the other where I wanted it. One was planted near the wall of my apartment, the other out in the open near the walk way.

So the flowering plants grew and grew. Then one day a storm came through with incredible winds and knocked over the one that was in the open. To be honest, I felt no way about it as where it was made no sense and I had another one, so I disposed of it.

Then a year or two later, there was no storm but there was a lot of wind and it broke down the top of my remaining flowering plant. This time I felt a little taken aback, but this time I cut down the broken branches. I then kept two of them and put them in two bottles of water and let them grow roots. Once again I had two plants to be planted.

It was only when I thought that they were ready that I went about putting them in earth. This time I did it myself and I dug up a hole in front of the small veranda in the flower bed on the left side near the walk way. Another hole was dug in the same flower bed on the right side, kinda in the midst of other flowering plant. These were perfect places as it would create a sense of symmetry, which is a major component in natural beauty.

Well, the plant on the left didn't make it the next day, or was it two days later, I found it lying on the ground. I wasn't too sad because once again the other plant survived. And I must admit, my little garden is overgrown with majority of the plants I would love to destroy, so I have to make the effort to look for my little plant. When ever I saw it, I got a little sense of pride, like that one is all mine, it lives because of me.

Then a month ago, as I was leaving home, I looked across and the top of my plant was cut off!!! The people who come to cut the yard, did a number on my plant, but no stress a branch had started to grow out the side so it still had potential. It will live even though it didn't follow the expected growth pattern, it will live.

Then a few weeks ago, I looked at my plant again and again, the was cut off. A different person who was cutting the yard cut my plant off. This time I was pissed because it was cut low, but I hoped that it would make it, that it would grow.

That was not the case, this morning when I looked at my plant, it had died, just a stick sticking out the ground. This got me thinking about my life and my dreams. It made me a little sad though. I know it's just plants and one should not look for and make up meanings for why things happen but I learned some lessons from this whole experience and that is the main reason why we have experiences, to gain wisdom. Also, this may sound new agey, but I think that is how God talks to people, it's not in words, not in verbs and nouns, but the whole process of nature, we just have to be quiet and open our minds to what is being said. Okay now the lessons:

Lesson 1
Don't let others determine what you do with your life. Do things the way you want to do it, I always have at the back of my mind that when all the other people are gone and it's just you there to live your life, you're going to have to figure out for yourself if the life you're living is what you truly want. Why wait till then to make decisions that will impact your well being.

Lesson 2
Protect your dreams. Keep them in a safe spot because you never know when it will be destroyed by some freak storm. You see everyone is focused on something, be it personal or for the community, and the truth is they are not going to pussy foot around your dreams if they're in their way. People are going to go full steam ahead and if they crash through, be grateful if they acknowledge on their own what they've done. Keep that close to your chest, tell only those who you know will support you with that dream. And when I support you I don't mean help you step by step, I mean give you moral support, keep you accountable even when you feel like lapsing.

Lesson 3
Never give up. Okay, my plant is dead, chopped down without a backward glance, but you know what I know how to grow another one. I still have the tree I got the two branches from and I can start some more plants up and I will. We all go through setbacks and we can either feel bad or see it for what it is, an opportunity to learn the lesson and to come back stronger and bolder. Maybe instead of just one plant on each side, I'll plant two, at least I know how to do it already. That is why I'm a supporter of those who grow their wealth than those who are given wealth. If the wealth is taken away, the person who grew their wealth can always regain the wealth, they did it before, but the person who was given wealth would not know where to start. Don't let your setbacks be the end of the journey, let it be the bump in the road you will in the end forget about.


For the last week or so, I have not been on my A-game, in fact, 2011 has been a meh year with the highlights being my involvement in the poetry scene on island and my pursuit of a particular goal I just can't let go. Every now and then I need to let my inner guide give me some guidance and that is what the above was my inner guide/Goddess/whatever letting me know that whatever I'm going through now will be long forgotten in a year's time. Perhaps I will still see a shadow of a scar, but the details will be vague. 

Plus, it's not how one starts that matters, it's how one finish.