Cutting back
It was finally time this last weekend to get the summer started! In fact, I spent most of Saturday cleaning up outside around the house. Washing down the porch, clearing away cobwebs, moving out the summer furniture, and getting the landscaping ready for the summer.
There is something cathartic about working in the yard. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the physical exertion of working outside. Maybe it’s the sun beating down on the back of your neck. Maybe it’s simply getting your hands dirty and getting closer to nature. Either way, landscaping makes me think.
I went a little crazy with the hand trimmers this weekend. I was seriously trimming everything in sight. I trimmed high. I trimmed low. I trimmed all over. I even got blisters from all the trimming. It just needed to be done!
I hadn’t worked in the yard all winter, so there were dead leaves under the bushes and against the house. There were sticks just lying around. There were dead branches still hanging on to some trees sucking the life out of them. The bushes looked unkempt – kind of like my hair when it’s past due for a cut. So, I went to town.
Needless to say, the bushes and trees look a little, well, bald right now, just like I do post-haircut. But, I know the trim was good for them, and in the end it’ll grow new life.
As I was trimming, I couldn’t help but think about how this relates to life.
You know, we all go through times where we just need to get the dead out of our life – where we need to prune something out so new growth can happen. It might hurt a little at first, and it really might feel clunky and awkward, but in the end we know we are better for making the choice to change and grow.
Pruning hurts. It takes time. And it feels weird. Most of the time, we humans avoid pruning in our lives because of those things. But, if you don’t take the time to prune your life, you’ll get caught in a cycle of life staying the same – which can actually drive you crazy. Pruning is the better option.
Fight through the hurt. Take the time. Embrace the awkwardness.
Maybe for you, pruning is stopping a habit you have that’s really dragging you down. Maybe for you, cutting something back is setting up a boundary with someone in your life to make your relationship healthier. Or maybe for you, the best way to prune something out of your life is to physically get rid of material possessions that are unnecessary or in excess.
Pruning something in your life is hard and feels out of the norm, but the best part about pruning is that you know on the other side – once the awkwardness of the new you becomes more normal – new life grows.