Monday, January 13, 2014

Growing A Weed

Be A Weed~

When looking out onto our lawn I noticed that no matter what kind of poison we sprayed on the dandelions they would not go away for good, always seeming to pop up somewhere else. What I did not realize was that those little annoyances were trying to teach me a lesson in survival. A lesson that needed me to slow down and take a second look at what I was trying to eliminate.  I just wanted to match our neighbor's lawn with it's neat edges and row upon row of green blades of grass and it was not going to be possible if these weeds kept popping up!  So every day I'd go out there with my "weed killer" and squirt them.  

I came across an article later where a father stated that his son was like a dandelion.  He surmised that while many try killing these weeds they miss out on the fact that all they are doing is poisoning a plant that could make a "tasty greens salad".  The father went on to compare his son to a plant no one wants; even though it has vast potential, healing properties even.  This article was researching the innate abilities of individuals that had Asperger's Syndrome and how harnessing their specific talents could benefit the whole world if only companies would take the chance and hire them. Soon after reading the article I was outside squirting poison and then I saw my daughter pick a dandelion, smile, and blow on it making a wish.  "Mami you are trying to kill all my wishes." she sighed.  I  googled dandelion and the first article that popped up was…."Weeds Worth Growing".


Growing weeds on purpose.  That is what Animated Child is all about. Cultivating and growing potential even if it comes in a form not typically appreciated.  The dandelion starts out as nothing but a nuisance, then it grows a lovely flower and leaves that could nourish us. Lastly it offers us the impossible, the things we dream of…. it offers us something to make a wishes upon.  My favorite quote is one from Doug Larson, "A weed is a plant that has learned every survival skill except how to grow in rows".  Heres to not conforming, heres to being a weed!