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Thursday, July 17, 2008

opening up



You hold your best qualities inside, along with the ones you think are your weaknesses. If you can't let the weaknesses out, you might not be able to let the strengths out either.


Have you noticed how a loving friend opens you up?


When you feel confident, free to be yourself without worrying you'll be judged?



And maybe, just maybe, your best strengths are closely tied to what you perceive as weaknesses.

And once it's all out in the open, someone might feed at your openness and be nourished.



balloon flower

platycodon grandiflorus

'sentimental blue'

27 comments:

Anet said...

Beautiful thought Ruth!
Noah picked out a balloon flower for his nature circle in the backyard. It's still small, but we've had a few blooms.
I just took a picture of a huge balloon flower at the Dodge Turner Mansion. I didn't know they could grow that big!

Sharon said...

Friendships like that are so rare and precious. It sounds like (from here) that you have that with Inge? The balloon flower photos are gorgeous and so apt.

VioletSky said...

I don't know which I look forward to more in catching up with your posts: your photos or your poetry.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Ruth this feels so wonderful.. such Hope... very calming..

It just left me silent. but fulfilled in a strange meditative way..

Life can be good if we make it good...

freefalling said...

Weeellll.....hmmmm...I seem to have come in close contact with my many and varied weaknesses but am yet to meet my greatest strengths.
How exciting - I can't wait!

What would be an example of a 'best strength' perceived as a weakness?

Ruth said...

Cool, Anet! They must be hardy too, because Don had bought the plants last year and never got them in the ground. They sat out all winter, and he planted them this spring, and here they are thriving.

= = =

Sharon, yes, I do have that with Inge, and with a few others. I hope you have it too.

= = =

Sanna, what a kind comment, thank you.

Ruth said...

Gwen, I'm glad you felt that, because it felt meditative writing and posting it.

= = =

Letitia,

example: I've been a controlling person most of my life. Meaning, I have made people feel bad that they didn't do something just the way I would have, as if they failed. (This is mostly my nearest and dearest, of course, I wouldn't have done that to YOU.) I see that as a weakness (of course). That trait is linked to the strength to discern efficient ways of doing things. Now that I recognize that strength, and how it's linked to the weakness of being controlling, I can let go of the expectation that others will do something the way I would - even when I think my way is pretty darn fantastic. I mean what's the worst that can happen if someone does something less efficiently than I would?

Does that make sense?

André Lemay said...

I love these flowers, this the first time I see them. They are even more beautiful with your story.

enig said...

Ruth you're speaking metaphors and its a delight

rauf said...

Ruth, i think my strength is silence, when ever i open my mouth i get into trouble and people get angry. i don't use my strength (silence) much and i am always in trouble, face to face or in the blog. My blog too is not happy place to visit.

i tell my friend , Oh my god ! what ghastly shoes ! i really appreciate the people who make things for people like you, that is good business.

Anet said...

Hey Ruth, I left you a little blog award over at my blog:)

sandy said...

How beautiful Ruth. I have had one friend for almost 30 years who provides the space for me to bloom and she is a treasure to me.

Listens to my fears and inadequacies and always holds them up to the light of wisdom to allow me to see them differently. I try to do that for her too.

Very thoughtful post today. Thanks.

auntie sandy

Mrs. SwedeHart said...

Whenever bees, wasps or moose lurk near, I tell those around me, "Be a flower." No one is afraid of a flower, no one attacks a flower. Sure, the bees want to get close and experience your beauty, but that just means you get to witness theirs close-up, too!

Ruth said...

André, thank you.

* * *

Alek, smile. Thank you.

* * *

rauf, you are funny. very funny. But I have to disagree with you. You were silent for almost 4 months in blogworld, and maybe you didn't get into trouble, but silence is not your strength. Your voice is.

Ruth said...

Anet, thank you for that honor! :D

* * *

Auntie Sandy, that friend is your treasure, and you are hers.

* * *

Swedehart, thank you for that image.

Loring Wirbel said...

Hmm, should I have tagged your blog in Don's game? I was afraid if he didn't, it's because you were standing over him with a stern look, and I was afraid of that stern look even once removed.

Ruth said...

Loring, apparently I was standing over him in his mind. And I admit I was standing over him literally with that stern look about tagging you!

And now, is that stern look a weakness, and is it connected to any strength? (haha)

But thanks, knowing you thought of tagging me (and didn't) wipes the stern look away.

MYM said...

That's beautiful Ruth ... and it made me cry. :) But a good cry.

I'm gonna tuck this post away ... it's a keeper.

Unknown said...

Just beautiful..u hve wonderful collection luv ur posts!!

freefalling said...

Yeah - it does make sense.
I'm gunna have to go and have a think now.

Ruth said...

Drowsey, what can I say, a comment doesn't get better than that.

* * *

Nirmala, thank you so much, thanks for your visit. You have a lovely blog, very sensitive.

* * *

Letty, I'm glad.

Ginnie Hart said...

I wonder how and when I grew so afraid of my weakness, Ruth. My best friend is teaching me to open up my "dark side" and face it...and not be afraid of it any more. It probably is tied much closer to my strength than I've ever realized. Thanks for the photographic and poetic metaphor!

Ruth said...

Boots, my dear sister, we were born and raised to deny weaknesses. We were trained to be afraid of them.

It takes a lot of love to un-know that.

Mrs. M. said...

This reminds me of "...as iron sharpens iron..." and "faithful are the wounds of a friend".

The pictures are incredible!

Ruth said...

Yeah, Mrs. M., sometimes the wounds are ouchy. But it seems to work best if the friend is gentle, shining a light. After all we have to see for ourselves what is there.

Thank you.

mystic rose said...

:),
Im thinking on the top twoposts, but this one is sweet. and true. :)

Ruth said...

:)