Hey yo! Buy a plant. That’s not a metaphor or wordplay, I’m saying as literally as I possibly can that you should go and buy a plant. Big, small, it doesn’t matter. Just get something you have to keep alive.
Give it a name and tell it some secrets.
I don’t really _____
I hate _____
Sing your favourite songs to it, even if you can't sing them.
Countless studies show that loved plants grow better, so what better way to show love than sharing your small truths? Those little niggles that keep you up at night or those white lies you tell that somehow still manage to burden you. I believe some of our human parts are hard to share with other humans. The things that most of us go through still seem impossible to share. Mental health has come a long way, and there have been moves to encourage discussion because discussion is a treatment, and sometimes it does cure.
Scientifically, the vibrations of voice aid growth, but again, are we much different? Being reassured or validating our feelings allows us to grow out of the places we get stuck in. I am saying buy a plant because I believe that our own vibrations can aid our growth too. Hearing our confessions out loud allows us to act upon them differently. This also requires an additional step because you must see the plant as living and believe it is listening to you. What are you tucking beneath your tongue? I have buried white lies so deep I have had to surgery them out of myself. We learn to speak at a young age, but so many of us are still learning how to talk. Society puts pressure on us because we don’t have the best track record for acceptance. Enough times, something different has been boiled down to bad because of its difference yet here we are, you different to me, you different to every reader and stranger you ever encounter. We are all similar in that we’re different, yet being different became a sin. By said logic, we’re all sinners and destined for brimstone, so let’s burn so bright here that we have to bring our coats when with us on our journey to hell.
There is a reason sharing is so difficult and why you may feel alienated because of your differences, but I promise your differences make you beautiful. Maybe your confessions are small, and you don’t like your boyfriend’s mum’s chicken parm, but you don’t have the heart to tell them, or perhaps you are hiding something much larger; either way, these are secrets, and plants are listeners. How freeing does it feel to say one thing that’s been bothering you out loud? How relieving is it to know that something else living has your secrets in the treasure chest of their heart? Say good morning to your newly purchased plant. Read it a bedtime story full of confessionals and let the love you give radiate back. Say mantras out loud and let your plant hear them. Whether it's ‘I am wonderful the way that I am’ or ‘I still have a long way to go, but I have come so far’, let your leaves feel it. You are different and have some weird qualities, but here is the kicker: everybody does. Your strange doesn’t make you special, you make you special.
Hug a tree. Fist bump a daisy. Tell the grass you love the green it’s wearing. Love outwardly at full volume, then love inwardly the same. You are different, and gosh, it looks so good on you.
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What flower are you and why? If you need help, there is this quiz—I am a Tulip, my fiance's favourite flower. How cute is that? Sound off in the comments, and I will see you there.
On the topic of beautiful flowers, Brandon Flowers released Flamingo in 2010, but it isn’t talked about enough. Everything Brandon does solo is a gem. The follow up is a little more dancey and experimental if you’re into that stuff. Throw it on and shake those petals.
Love this. I've only been telling my secrets to dead trees with a pen, perhaps I should find a living one to divulge to!