The problem with roots is that you never know where they will end. For my exercise today (which has not been daily as I am getting sporadic in this mission). I told myself you are going to exercise young lady, you don't have to like it, love it, but you do have to attempt it. If you quit after five minutes but so be it you are getting yourself moving. So I approached my hubby with a fabulous idea. It's been hundred degrees, humid, rainy, hot, icky weather and I mentioned to him it was cool outside early this evening. His reply "Compared to what?" Sweetly I smiled that wifely smile, "than today *insert giggle*". "Hmmm" I mused out load. "We should work on the yard. Our li'l one is down for a solid nap and looky here we both are available to work in the yard". He harumphed but agreed to my suggestion. As we got ready he looked at my bare feet and asked "Aren't you going to wear shoes?" "Of course", I responded. He then looked at my feet, again! And then looked at my face with that manly furrowed eyebrow questioning look and asked "Which shoes?" And then I countered with a question, "Which shoes should I wear?" He smiled and mentioned " I wouldn't wear flip flops." "Oh? Really? But we're just going to be in the yard." So for my work out I actually put on socks and tennis shoes. Crazy idea! We then get to the front door as I have now met the dress code. I notice his hands are empty. "Ummmm? Aren't we going to need garbage bags? (Yup as a reply.) Okay, and aren't we going to need tools. (Sure he says). Do we have tools? I inquired. (Nope). Sure we do, we must. (No we really don't). Do we have work gloves? (Shakes head). Then why did you agree to work in the yard. (He shrugged and replied I figured you could show me what you wanted and expected. We could pull the easy weeds).
Can you tell from this exchange, neither of us are really green thumbs? And we have become the house on the block that can grow weed trees like nobody's business. What motivated this yard work is that I was throwing away some of our garbage and noticed the biggest mushroom I have ever seen. It literally was the size of my cat's head (and he has a pretty big head!). We bagged that mushroom and its nearby friend as our first official yard duty job. Then we took a look at the back yard. Oh sweet yard how I apologize for my ignorance and neglect. You are so in need of TLC yard. And I don't really know how to do that. But I tried for a solid forty-five minutes, with a tired hubby (who has worked 21+ hours in the last two days), a medium size shovel, and a melted rake. Good times! We semi-cleared a path by picking up a huge branch and knocking down some four foot hollow stalks. We then came across a beginner tree. Oh but looks are deceiving. This pole had some strength and thriving trunk. No bigger than an inch and half circumference of a trunk. Oh but this bad boy had some roots.
My hubby attacked with the shovel and began digging. I then wrestled the beast to the ground. Snapping the twig close to the ground. Oh this has become war sapling as you try to trip me and then would not snap. I pulled, I stomped, I kicked (remember we have limited tools), I twisted and you showed wear but did not break. I then begged my hubby for the shovel and I dig, and hack and spear this shovel into your stupid trunk. You weren't breaking. We then attempted to uncover the roots. Again we hack, we pull, we lift, and used whatever leverage we could imagine. This became my soul mission outside. I felt if we just uncovered the roots and could pull this tree free there was a life lesson worth knowing. My husband was such an amazing sport but "Seriously, we need a game plan. We are not going to stay out here all night with no tools with this tree and waste hours and accomplish nothing." Oh on the contrary my love this tree is going down! There is a reason and we are going to tough this out together. Like in the movies we were going to pull this tree out of the ground proving nothing is impossible, together we can do anything, and that we feel this pride and accomplishment. Cue the hero music now! But wait, "Snap" Ahhhhh it's the tree. No, its the shovel not meant to unearth trees with 3 feet of roots showing. We have no idea what else is underground. But three feet of thick, gnarly roots are unearthed for this four foot bean pole of a sapling. My husband declares the game over, the tree wins, and now not only do we have to buy all the outside tools we need to add a shovel to the list. My bad! Oh I am so bitter at that tree. It stands out there mocking me (bruised and laying on the ground as I did injure its branchy trunk). But it still lives. I stick my tongue out at you stupid tree with the big roots!
How often appearances are deceiving! I saw that tree and figured between myself, my hubby, and our shovel; we could clear a second path into the back yard of forgotten plant life. But no, this tree had to have crazy strong roots that are three four times the size of the sapling's trunk. I have attempted getting to know me again as I travel this HealthFULL Journey, so that I can Fully Understand Life by Living. I am trying to recall memories and events to figure out what paths I should have swerved differently. I am milling through emotions, proud accomplishment, and past hurts trying to reveal how I got here. Sometimes I will declare uncovering certain memories a victory like a forgotten gem. But I forget that under some of the dust isn't a polished stone but only a ball of mud. Time does erase certain events and paint in rosy hues. Recalling certain emotions is like pulling that tree. The roots are so deeply embedded that they can't be uncovered all at once. Its too much. It needs time to stretch and breathe and release what is has been holding all these years. So when you start digging and hit those roots. Take a moment to soak in the moment, to let the root breathe so that it doesn't suffocate you with its tangled tendrils.
May your HealthFULL Journey expose the old rotten roots so that you can plant new ones that are even stronger. "Til we meet again. . .
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