Hey everyone! I hope you have been having a good spring so far!
Though, with the world having more turns and twists than a YA novel, you never know what other people are living with at the moment.
I was reminded of that lesson when I visited my parents for Easter.
Now, we’re not really all that religious, but we do consider ourselves pretty spiritual. We believe for sure that there is a higher power, whether that creature be God, the Goddess, the collective energies of the Universe, or some combination of those previously mentioned, plus something mystical we aren’t even aware of as a race yet. We also believe in angels, demons and fiends, and the floating calamity that is a poltergeist. (For the record, I was full aware of what a poltergeist was before the Harry Potter craze hit.)
My parents bought me the traditional chocolate bunny, along with several more bags of cavity-inducing sugar, but they also bought me something that truly refilled some of that hope I’ve lost this past year.
They bought me a pot of roses.
No, not a vase of freshly cut roses people would often give to one another on Valentines’ Day, but a cute sunshine-colored pot with yellow and pink roses still with their roots. The bush itself obviously needed a little TLC, but they knew I’d have all the little buds blooming in no time.
Once we brought the little bush home, I set to work in cleaning her up. I found a lot of dead leaves and dying branches. It felt like by the time I would be done cleaning it all up, I wouldn’t have any green plant left. That’s when I found this strange bundle of dried leaves covered in a light grey fuzz. I thought I had found some sort of fungus pod responsible for killing the rose bush. Nope, I was so wrong.
I found a nest.
Inside this little nest was a singular wriggling worm, probably trying to figure out why its home was moving. This was the source of my bush’s progressing demise. Of course I threw away the creature and its house and continued cleaning out my poor bush. Thankfully, the little worm didn’t get to the entire plant.
But it made me realize something. If anything, 2020 has planted inside each and every one of us that tiny little grey wriggling worm. They’ve been eating away at us day in and day out, leaving behind doubt, hate, suspicions, and so many other negative feelings in their wake. It’s probably why everyone is so exhausted these days. We’re all so busy fighting the symptoms, we haven’t even had the time nor the energy to go looking for the gross little worm burrowed deep inside of us.
I don’t know about you, but I plan on getting rid of that creature. It has way overstayed its welcome. It isn’t going to be overnight though. Nothing like this ever is. I don’t know how long it will take, but I’ll be sure to keep you all in the loop.
But until then, try to take deep breaths and tell yourself that you’re awesome, you’re wonderful, and you’re important!
L.J. LaBree 