January. The word itself ushers in cold wind, frigid temps and barren trees. That's the thoughts I had a while back as we drove through the countryside. The trees, just a few months ago, had lush foliage. The bright green attire slowly turned to bursts of radiant color as the summer turned to autumn. Then suddenly the leaves were on the ground, and there was nothing to hide the twisted branches, the broken places and scars that had been hidden so well for many months. Something about the naked trees intrigued me. No cover up, just the plain tree for the world to see.
This is not unlike we humans. We dress up, cover up, camouflage all the places we don't want to show. We smile, laugh, interact with those around us. Only we know the sore spots, the broken places, the emotional places that won't heal. We all have them. For many these places drain happiness, enthusiasm and hope in our every day life. For some there are only scars. The ugly, sad, disappointing, hurting places have healed, leaving only a scar. It's good when hard life experiences no longer control us and steal life's precious moments; when our bad times can help us help others in their hard experiences.
With the New Year ahead of us, our physical fitness and health comes to mind. Let's not neglect where good health starts; with our mind. Working on the naked truth of our personal relationships and making a choice to make them better can change our life more dramatically than exercise, vitamins or energy boosters. We may not change the world, but we can change our world.
About This Site
I am a Southern writer and speaker. My desire is to make a difference one person at a time. Through my life journey, I've learned of places in life that can trap you, places that can steal your happiness and then those that can make life worth living. I share it here.
Come grow with me.
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