“This drying out, this self-crowding sneaks up on me. It seems I must always feel a little wilted or deadened before I know I’m too pot-bound.”
~~ Gunilla Norris
Are you pot-bound? No, not that kind of pot.
Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, Simple Abundance, fell off my bookshelf and into my lap recently. And, it opened to a piece entitled “Repotting: Giving Roots and Yourself Room to Grow.”
While I read it, you could hear two of my indoor plants coughing and gasping due to tangled and stunted roots. How synchronistic. They were pleading for fresh soil and food. Poor things. Who knew?
I heeded the message. Those plants are now repotted and happy.
But what about my own roots, and yours for that matter? Is our soil devoid of nutrients? Are we dropping our leaves? What parts of our lives could use some fresh soil?
And while I’m at it, if we think we are tending to things, are we focused on our garden or somebody else’s?…
Maybe it’s time for us to stop and look at our roots. Maybe, with just a little pruning, we can stop choking on the parts of our lives that don’t serve us.
Comments and pruning suggestions welcome.
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For those of you in the Austin Area:
I’m inviting you to join us in September for the next Jeanne Guy Re-Story Circle Gathering where you’ll use the Re-Story Reflective Writing Process ™ to explore, share and reimagine your life. You’ll have two hours to relax, reflect and renew. Ready to gently untangle those roots?
Monday, September 9 (South Austin) or Wednesday, September 11 (North Austin)
More information at https://www.jeanneguy.com/re-story-circles/
What an excellent metaphor, Jeanne! It’s definitely been my experience that it’s so easy to just keep on going in the same “container” until we just about stifle the life out of ourselves. Or we do it to other people. We try to keep them locked in the same for ever and ever. And in the process we cramp their style. Since I’m terrible with live plants this is such a good one to remember. Maybe I should go out and get one so I can have a daily reminder (or natural consequences).
Important comments, Patti. Thanks.
Happy to provide clippings of the plants I haven’t done in yet…I bet they’d love you.