Boxwoods

School is finished for the year.  I am free to do the things that feed my soul. 

I have a secret drive to bring order to things.  That act gives me immense pleasure and serves to calm the inner chaos. 

My attention has been placed on my yard.  The bushes and flowerbeds that need annual care and order.   

I have been known to cut bushes down to their nubby base when they are overgrown. In particular, the boxwood bushes in my front beds. 

Boxwood bushes are interesting to me.  They only grow on new wood. Which means they are eternally stretching upward and outward until they choke their core of what is needed to produce new growth.

Sometimes, horticulturists will trim away branches to ensure growth on the inner part of the bush. 

Me...I cut all the branches away to allow for fresh new start. 

In my humble opinion,  we are like the boxwood bush.  We are born and we grow and expand outward.  As we age we become set in our ways. 

Sometimes that means we do not embrace new experiences, new perspectives,  or new  challenges. We begin to block the sun from forming new identities or shapes. 

It takes a gentle hand of a good horticulturist to shape the form of what we know and have become comfortable with, while allowing for new leaves.

And sometimes,  it takes a massive lopping. 

In lopping my bushes,  I have circled around to a basic truth in my journey.  I guess I have more growing to do:) 

Much love,