Why ‘Bloom Where You’re Planted’ Isn’t Always Good Advice
𓍊𓋼𖡼.𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊
She’s working in the garden today,
Placing her seedlings out one by one,
Digging, planting, watering, again, again,
Each one gets a wish, a tiny prayer of sorts,
Please grow, please make something, please don’t die,
𓋼𖡼𖤣
Some she plants close together, some far apart,
Some belong in the shade, some in full sun,
There’s a method to the madness and experimentation too,
Will these grow here or there better,
How how much space do they really need,
𓋼𖡼𖤣
She reads about each kind of plant,
She asks friends, googles, watches videos,
She tries her best to get it just right,
But she knows there’s really no controlling it,
𓋼𖡼𖤣
Just like so many things in life, there’s no way to force it,
There is only effort, trust, pivoting when needed,
If this one starts to waver, she’ll adjust everything she can,
She’ll water less, water more, fertilize, mulch,
And if that doesn’t work, she’ll move it to another spot,
Gently pull it up and settle it in somewhere else,
𓋼𖡼𖤣
Suddenly, a new thought emerges,
Challenging something she’s heard as truth all her life,
A quote flutters into her being. . . .
It turns out that whole ‘bloom where you’re planted’ thing isn’t always good advice. I dare say, for some, it’s the worst advice there is. ~me
𓋼𖡼𖤣
Just like plants, some people can grow almost anywhere,
Some grow and thrive best in the town where they were born,
While others grow best in wilder places or bigger cities,
In a cottage by the ocean or on top of a mountain in Maine,
Some haven’t found where they grow best just yet,
𓋼𖡼𖤣
That doesn’t mean one is better than the other,
Nor is there a winner or loser,
It just means we’re all different, like plants,
Gloriously, beautifully, deliciously different,
𓋼𖡼𖤣
In any case, “bloom where you’re planted” isn’t helpful,
Not for nature, nor for a precious life,
And there’s nothing wrong with someone who can’t bloom where they are right now no matter how hard they try,
Maybe they need more light or more shade,
Less toxic surroundings, more space,
Or maybe they need a chance to bloom somewhere new.
𓍊𓋼𖡼.𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊
𓍊𓋼𖡼.𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊
This summer, I’m keeping it light here in our little book club.
Some weeks I’ll gush over a book I’m loving, and some weeks (like this one) I’ll share just a quote or two. Because I’m collecting quotes for a new project, and this one just made the cut, even if it’s my own, maybe especially for that reason.
I hope it encourages you the way it’s encouraging me.
If you run into a good book or quote this week, send it my way. Meanwhile, I’ll be finishing up the fantasy series I’m currently addicted to and combing the “What the Libro.fm Staff is Loving” list looking for my next audiobook.
✌🏼️💓 🪴📚
Celeste
