[melissa2013]

I used to live in a rental house in the middle of a peach orchard. One day, I smelled heavy smoke and went outside to see many of the fields in a controlled burn. Growing up in the big city, I had no idea what was going on and was a bit concerned. I went to the farmer's house that evening and asked him what was up with burning all these fields. Was there something wrong, a bug or disease? He told me that peaches lose their super sweet flavor and produce less fruit when the trees get older and he cuts the trees down every 3 years and burns the fields and this creates super fertile land to grow new trees on. He said next year, these fields would give him the best fruit.

Many years later, I saw myself as a peach orchard. My trees had been cut and I was engulfed in flames. The pain was so immense, I looked for any escape, but there was none. I was forced to wait until all was turned to ashes before the burning would cease. In the depths of my pain, the story that the farmer told me brought me a lot of comfort. I realized it was my time to prepare for sweeter and more abundant fruit in my life and that could only be done by uprooting everything and burning the fields.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Ecclesiastes 3 verses 1 – 8

[toughtimes]

Melissa what a beautiful metaphor for our moment in life right now. It's just perfect. Thank you for sharing.

[31andcounting]

What a wonderful way to view life,  thank you melissa2013 for sharing   Seriously, it is eye opening for me!!
(((hugs)))
31andcounting

[Albatross]

It is so true !

"Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor."

Sholom Aleichem

[Albatross]

POWERFUL

“When we learn to face and feel the fear and shame we habitually avoid, we begin to awaken from the trance.”

[Albatross]

The very softest thing of all can ride like a galloping horse through the hardest of things.

Like water, like water penetrating rock,
And so the invisible enters in.

That is why I know it is wise to act by doing nothing. And how few, how very few understand this!

People teach in the world what I know to be true:
if you live violently, that is how you will die.

[31andcounting]

So true Albatross!!  I remember many a time when I'd write on this site and some very strong people would advise me " when you are not sure what to do, do nothing!!"  Very hard to do, but it has been the best advice of ALL the advice I think.
31andcounting

[Albatross]

More immortal Gandhi:

- “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”

- “Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents never revenges itself.”

- “It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good heart whatever they might have to say.”

"If You follow old code of justice - an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth - You end up in the blind and toothless world."

[Albatross]

ABOUT ANGER



"Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting other person to die."

-- Buddha

[in it]

"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”

I LOVE this!!!

And the anger post? That's my one signature sentence in a nutshell

"I can explain it to you; but I can not understand it for you"