Welcome to The Wildroot Parables weekly discussions! This is where we can come together as a community and have real talk with one another: open, honest, gracious, and curious.
This is YOUR space to discuss with each other, not just engage with me! Because of this, SAFE SHARING is my highest priority. If you are not engaging safely and with grace with others, you will have to leave. Period.
Thank you for entering this space with care!
Happy August, the season of loaves! On Monday, we meditated on this time of harvesting and what it can mean for us as people of a modern era, who may or may not have farming at the center of our lives anymore. When we speak of harvesting, we may not be talking about what comes out of our gardens. We might be talking about what we plant and tend spiritually, emotionally, relationally. The things we sow in faith, and harvest in grace.
Today’s question is: what are you harvesting, this season? What’s in your harvesting basket? What did you plant days, weeks, months, years ago that is coming into fruition this month? If nothing comes to mind, what is something you may WANT to harvest, this season? No wrong answers, let’s share the bounty!
Such a great question, S.E.! When I read your post Monday I thought--wow...this is speaking to me. In this season I have just finished a *literal* harvesting of my stem cells for my brother who is battling leukemia. That harvest represents the last ten years of rebuilding a relationship with him (that was strained for about a decade). We are closer than we ever have been and have been sharing with each other how God is moving through his illness and recovery, growing us even more.
Months ago I planted the seed of self-care by stepping back from social media, writing more, reading more, and getting regular massages (the kind that hurt like heck but heal your body!). Little did I realize that these seeds would produce the type of self-care I needed as I have faced the challenges of my brother's medical relapse as well as getting my son into rehab for a drug addiction.
Also, 20+ years ago my two best friends and I planted the seed of long lasting friendship--we committed to monthly dinners where we have helped each other through every season of parenting. I have needed those godly women in my life this year more than ever! So thankful.
Talking to myself again. Not sure if this is customary, but hopefully, it works.
After spending all morning wandering through our mutual back pages, I have realized that even in the clear light of day, I cannot do justice to my daughter’s challenges to survive long enough to harvest the ability to enjoy the life she deserved, but did not get.
She blames “my own bad choices,” but that would be like getting presented with a Fast Food menu and ordered to choose something healthy.
For now, but I am sure, not for long, her cathartic meltdown last night, coupled with new medications for her depression/anxiety, has allowed her to rebound enough to function in her dysfunctional relationship with her dysfunctional boyfriend as he suffers through what are likely the final days of his life, doing his best to leave her with a memory of vitriolic comments, guaranteed to drag her further down than he found her twenty-years-ago.
Again, my attempt to summarize a “life” has only expanded into explorations of some of the many byways traveled on her journey of misery.
I am now an hour late for Writer’s Hour and still haven’t written my “Shout Outs” that I intended to write ahead of time, so I’ll let this rest for now, but with the intention to start collecting my notes and actually writing *Tamatha’s Tale*, a story of survival and hopefully leading to a “harvesting” of the “happy life” she has always deserved.
Such a great question, S.E.! When I read your post Monday I thought--wow...this is speaking to me. In this season I have just finished a *literal* harvesting of my stem cells for my brother who is battling leukemia. That harvest represents the last ten years of rebuilding a relationship with him (that was strained for about a decade). We are closer than we ever have been and have been sharing with each other how God is moving through his illness and recovery, growing us even more.
Months ago I planted the seed of self-care by stepping back from social media, writing more, reading more, and getting regular massages (the kind that hurt like heck but heal your body!). Little did I realize that these seeds would produce the type of self-care I needed as I have faced the challenges of my brother's medical relapse as well as getting my son into rehab for a drug addiction.
Also, 20+ years ago my two best friends and I planted the seed of long lasting friendship--we committed to monthly dinners where we have helped each other through every season of parenting. I have needed those godly women in my life this year more than ever! So thankful.
Such a beautiful response! ♥️ Thank you so much for sharing here!
Holly, that is really incredible. Thank you for sharing your brilliance and your heart!
This is beautiful. Your words have blessed my heart today, thank you for sharing ♥️
I started a response too close to midnight to deal with a complex topic that will require careful editing in order to shorten it to fit this space.
If the hail storm that is threatening my Harvest doesn't continue in the morning, I will finish it then.
A shout out to our discussion leader and to Holly for thoughtful and well written posts
Talking to myself again. Not sure if this is customary, but hopefully, it works.
After spending all morning wandering through our mutual back pages, I have realized that even in the clear light of day, I cannot do justice to my daughter’s challenges to survive long enough to harvest the ability to enjoy the life she deserved, but did not get.
She blames “my own bad choices,” but that would be like getting presented with a Fast Food menu and ordered to choose something healthy.
For now, but I am sure, not for long, her cathartic meltdown last night, coupled with new medications for her depression/anxiety, has allowed her to rebound enough to function in her dysfunctional relationship with her dysfunctional boyfriend as he suffers through what are likely the final days of his life, doing his best to leave her with a memory of vitriolic comments, guaranteed to drag her further down than he found her twenty-years-ago.
Again, my attempt to summarize a “life” has only expanded into explorations of some of the many byways traveled on her journey of misery.
I am now an hour late for Writer’s Hour and still haven’t written my “Shout Outs” that I intended to write ahead of time, so I’ll let this rest for now, but with the intention to start collecting my notes and actually writing *Tamatha’s Tale*, a story of survival and hopefully leading to a “harvesting” of the “happy life” she has always deserved.