Strong Also Requires Soft

I am fascinated by the rose flower. I remember in my early twenties, if you were to give me flowers, they would be the last I would pick. In fact, I was adamant...DON'T give me roses. A bouquet of wildflowers, gerber daisies, tulips were great...anything but a hokey bouquet of roses. The irony of this, was my early tween connection to the flower through a song. My very first solo was in 6th grade. It was one I wasn't supposed to get....I was the understudy for the recital. But poor "Suzie" contracted strep throat and with that, my career as a young performer began. What song did I sing? You guessed it...The Rose, by Bette Midler. As a "budding" young artist, I had no idea how this song and the relationship to this flower would come to anchor me later in life.

Roses have existed for a practically timeless existence....about 35 million years on earth. There are actually rose fossils in the world and live they are the highest vibrating frequency of tangibility on our planet at approximately 350mhz. This information deeply educated me on why humans are so deeply in love with this flower! Traditionally, we are at 65-75mhz as a human body. We are constantly in search of feeling good and raising the vibe. Roses have a minimal of 5 petals (I love this since we are of 5 elements in TCM!) and can produce up to 60 on one flower. 60 in human existence, represents the transition of into the last major phase of life! Kind of cool right???!!! No matter how many, they distribute around their central growth evenly and in perfect symmetry. Their roots are thick to help with stability and thin to filter in nutrients and filter out what's not needed. Overall, I'd say the rose is a pretty smart cookie with high self-esteem. She's hardy in bad soil and tough in climate challenged conditions. Her resilience is something I truly admire. She's soft and inviting to the eye, but tough enough to withstand challenges of the heart! I think what I love about her most, is her forgiving nature. She doesn't require much. Just sunlight, water and an occasional grooming. Her presence just makes you feel better.

So I guess you can say I'm obsessed with the characteristics of the rose. Why? Because the more I learn about life, the more I realize how our mere existence is repeated in what is timeless...in what was probably here long before us and after. In the meantime we need to identify. We need to connect. We need to be reminded human nature isn't the only nature and we can certainly endure by adopting the characteristics of tenderness while exuding great strength.

This morning I watched my partner's son say goodbye to his family as he deployed overseas for the next year. As he wished his love, Marissa farewell before getting on the bus, I saw his strength within the tenderness of such a difficult moment. I was so moved....moved by the soft pain of goodbye and at the same time, moved by the strength of their timeless and beautiful connection. This is just one example...but it's a good one. We think of pain as harsh, but in this case it's soft. It's here to teach us tenderness and vulnerable beauty is perfectly fine and in it, the strength of what they have cultivated by their own roots had a lasting impact on my memory bank. I am sure...one hundred percent positive, I will not forget such a moment. It was there to teach me and there for me to share with you.

There will be moments in our lives we are called to be strong. It will apply in the most menial of moments and it will apply when our lives are somehow placed at stake...and it will apply somewhere in between all that. In order to cultivate lasting strength, your deeper(thicker and stronger) roots need to stick down in that soil while your thinner (softer)roots are filtering in and out what you need and absolutely what you don't. Softness is our ability to step back and observe and discern. It's our ability to choose rest when we the "sun goes down" on whatever is happening in life. Softness is the understanding that not everything is about growing outward and upward. In fact, sometimes our softness is simply put in place so another can witness it's stillness, omnipotence and radiance even in the dark.

I found this chart and wanted to share it. It can help navigate your frequency in times of emotional ups and downs, strength and softness, contraction and expansion...however you want to see it. But think of yourself as a vibrant rose and how your presence when offered to another, can ignite health and well being just by showing up in all your radiance too. Acceptance happens to fall at the same frequency which to me is very cool....If we can find acceptance with most things, we become generally peaceful and happy....or at least generally okay with "life on life's terms.

I want to wish you a very warm welcome to Sacred Space...Thank you for stopping by today. It is my mission and intention to keep the softness and strength alive in you with positive reading on this blog, happiness and peace when you visit in Rocky Hill, and most of all, reinforced in my prayers for you. God Bless, Keep you and Happy Vibrations All!