Spring is in the air. Can you feel it? Within the next few weeks, even for us in sunny California, those chilly days of winter will come to an end and we’ll get to welcome that time of year characterized by fresh new beginnings. For we who are impatient for winter to end (like my nectarine tree which already started to display beautiful perky pink blossoms well ahead of schedule), spring can’t come too soon.
For some, winter is the depressing-est part of the year. For others, winter can feel as if it is 365 days long and longer. But just as spring follows winter, so too can hope follow depression; that is, if we spend a bit of time tilling and planting. As the season prepares to change, I find myself thinking of a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some of that rejoicing. I’ve often thought that it must have been an eternal optimist who first set eyes on this prickly plant with thorns outnumbering flowers 50-to-one, and called it a rose bush instead of a thorn bush. Perhaps we can take a lesson from this visionary if our lives seem thorny.
While it is necessary to be mindful of the thorns so we can avoid ‘em, we must also be on the lookout for roses, and stop and smell ‘em from time to time too. If you are out of practice and cannot see any roses, it may be time to take some serious action.
If you are suffering from “too-many-thorns-in-my-life-it is” try this. At the end of each day, make note of those thorns, but keep your emphasis on creating a detailed inventory of the roses. Don’t leave out a single one – buds and full blooms count equally. If you do this, over time you probably won’t need any help. However, if you have been injured by thorns and are out of touch with your roses, give me a call. If all else fails, I’ll help you plant petunias.
Call Debbie to schedule a consultation for therapy/coaching in Valencia at 661-259-5986 or in Encino at 818-385-0550.