Lesson learned..... cactus

Most people ask, "I thought you were over it?". And as it turns out, I am. Learning lessons I never thought I would.

People come in all sizes, colors, shapes and of different minds. I have learned to appreciate that. But I have also learned to appreciate the beauty in a cactus.

Aren't they magnificent! Just like some people in our lives. We can surely appreciate the wondrous rainbow of what we see. BUT............

That doesn't mean you want to snuggle, keep it as a lover, or hug it as a friend! Yep, some things are better held at a safe distance so that you may soak up all of it's natural beauty without any harm. That includes, without a doubt, some human beings.

Getting beyond past hurts, does not for a moment suggest you should put yourself back in harms way. What it means, is that you now have the knowledge you didn't have before, and hopefully, you will know better next time.

In no way am I suggesting that you should carry the burden of the hurt, but YOU should carry it's knowledge. The knowledge that some people are not meant to be the grandmaster of the parade we call our lives.As a matter of fact,  maybe they shouldn't even be included in your parade.Whatever the decision, STAY BACK....cactus' have spines...VERY SHARP SPINES!

So many times I see woman who keep themselves in horrible relationships, everyday, pulling away the spines, still refusing to let that cactus go. Thinking, I suppose, that their cactus will one day turn into a big, fluffy hydrangea. Well, it's never going to happen. Once a person has turned into your cactus, it's almost impossible for them to shed those pointy spines. Best you can ever hope for, you yourself turn into a steel pole, or let the cactus go. Either way, it's not the cactus that will change.

In life, you have people that desire to be the cactus of your life and will actually disguise themselves as something less spiny. And that's okay. But once you know they are your cactus, and they deliberately eased their way in, it is then time for you , not to ease out......but run like hell. They do not mean any good, whatsoever!

We are all going to have the proverbial cactus, and we may even be a cactus to others.. But once you have seen the harm that can come from the cactus, STOP...Move on. If you are a cactus, ask yourself "WHY?" Why would you want to cause harm? If you have a cactus, realize.....IT IS A CACTUS....keep it at a safe distance...and move on. You don't have to hate the cactus...appreciate the lessons you've learned and find yourself a beautiful hydrangea!

All in all... Live your life fully, without regrets, but cause no one harm. And if you have been harmed? Use all that you have experienced as your knowledge for the future. AND......never, ever think that YOU can change a cactus. You can only change YOU!