Gardening – Shawna Marie Rodgers

February 19, 2019

We are stronger together than we are apart. We hear this wisdom told to use time and time again. But, what does it that really mean?

We don’t always need physical help, physical strength- especially not in our modern worlds, no. What it means, in the most practical application of the phrase, is allowing ourselves to show weakness to each other- expose our vulnerabilities- because when we do, we give others the opportunity to lend a helping hand, to teach, to share their selves with our selves. It’s how we connect.

For those who’ve been emotionally damaged (and I don’t mean irreparably) but simply those who were once receptive to a fault- those who were open to the connection with others and, as a result, received into themselves the pain of the other, it can be difficult to re-open. Our hearts, much like our bodies, can grow wounded. Fresh wounds resulting from the death of a loved one, a relationship turned sour, or an interaction on the road full of rage and hate come into us, literally inside our bodies.

When we are open, we receive that energy and allow ourselves (and both our conscious and subconscious awareness) to become overtaken by the feeling the wound creates. Maybe it’s a small shock to the system; maybe it’s a stab to the heart. Regardless, it’s there, and suddenly we find ourselves walking through life differently, protecting this wound, for to reopen it prematurely could mean the death of us.

We carry our wounds, cradle them, and refuse to show them to others. But, sometimes the only thing that will heal the wound is to fully expose it in the safety of a loved one’s shared energy. To know you are not alone, to know that you do not have to look at your pain alone, to know that you are fully supported in your vulnerability- that is where healing takes place.

To be able to say, “I hear this awful thought in my head that’s challenging me emotionally. Will you look at it with me?’ to our loved ones is the first step towards realizing that the voices in our heads are not us. That painful voice is a weed in the garden of your mind, thriving off your heart energy, little by little. Revealing the weed to yourself or to a trusted confidant allows you to uproot it, and allows you to create space for a beautiful new seed to grow in its place.

Do not be afraid to weed the garden of your thoughts and beliefs. Think not of the pain you may feel as you energetically remove unhealthy attachments from your psyche. Consider the ramifications of inaction, of seeing the weed and pretending it’s not there. Denying the presence of these unhealthy behaviors is not only cowardly, but it is detrimental to the people who love you and the communities that depend on you.

You have a responsibility to the people you love to clean yourself up, see where a weed threatens the flowers, and let go of all the thoughts and beliefs that do not serve your heart.