Be the weed

My garden has taught me many things. Among other things, how to remain optimistic and positive in the face of adversity. Let me explain. Like every gardener knows there are plants that you would like to see thrive and others that you'd rather not see. We like to call them weeds, not b/c there is anything bad about them, simply that they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. So of I go, on my knees, pulling them out, cutting them down, digging them up, and then a few hours later I look back and heave a satisfied sigh. But, lo and behold, a few days later I spy a few of them returning, tentative at first, but soon back to their former "glorious" self. So I pull some more, dig a little deeper, look a little closer, all in an attempt to gain the upper hand, to be the eradicator. But no matter how determined I am, always some will come creeping back, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
And then it hit me. IF only our hopes could be like these weeds. NO matter how hard someone tries to cut us up, destroy our hopes, no matter how much life and circumstances want to dig our hopes up and throw them away, if we had just a little bit more resilience, like those weeds on mine, there would be just about nothing that could keep us down.
Too often, I have read some blogs here how someone felt like giving up, giving in after hearing an unflattering comment, some negative remark, seeing some less than stellar progress or heaven forbid, see the scale move up a pound. Well, next time this happens, ask yourself: "What would the weed do"? Would it crumble up and give up. NO, it would find some hidden strength, some overlooked piece of root, deep down where my probing fingers could not find it and Rise again.
So, next time life gets you down and you question yourself say instead: 'I am the weed, strong like the weed, my weedy spirit shall prevail, I am no dainty rose." Be the weed, my friends, be the weed.