Brambles & thistles

By JANET HART LEONARD

From the Hart

Once upon a time, she held the happiness of someone for whom she cared, on her shoulders. Fragile and vulnerable shoulders.

She tried to make someone happy who refused to accept any responsibility for their unhappiness.

She was introduced to brambles and thistles.

Do you know what brambles are? They are prickly shrubs that are often invasive. They show up out of nowhere and invade the barren ground and form a thicket. It is nearly impossible to get rid of them.

Let me introduce you to brambling thoughts. They invade our mind and keep showing up to torment us, wear us down and frustrate us as we try to make sense of a bad situation we find ourselves a part of. Hello misery, I heard you like company.

Well, Pollyanna, who believes in second chances and third chances and well, you get the picture, what a fine mess you have gotten yourself in!

It’s not easy for a people-pleasing rescuer that just wants the world to sing in perfect harmony to walk away. She will fight to the nth degree of her strength to make right a wrong. She assumes responsibility for what is not hers to assume. Read that again.

She gets worn out, worn down and filled with brambles and thistles.

While brambles cover the ground of her mind, the thistles rise to the occasion of every attempt to right a wrong that was not of her making. She gets pricked over and over just trying to find a solution that is impossible to find.

The thistles prick at her thoughts making her believe her hurt is her own fault because she did something, and the other person is all too willing to remind her of it and lay the blame in her lap. She coddles and rocks that blame until she realizes she is holding the blame that was never hers to hold.

So, what happened to Pollyanna?

She realized she was not responsible for someone else’s happiness. She let go of the blame that she had held onto for so many years.

Once upon a time … she found the answer to getting rid of the thistles and brambles … she let go of the blame and walked away. After all, it was never hers to hold.

And … she smiled and found her own happiness. I know her well.

Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.