What is a Weed?
Have you ever wondered exactly what a weed is? Even if it flowers, we still don’t call a weed a flower or buy a bouquet of them. I looked it up - a weed is merely a plant that is unwanted. It’s entirely subjective. I love this quote from cyberspace: “A weed may simply be an unloved flower.”
I have some lovely flowering bushes in my yard, which are very pleasing to the eye. However, some of these beautiful plants seem to have sprouted other plants in their midst that look different, like they really don’t belong there. They are not at all pleasing to my eye. But why not?
Is it just because of my belief that they don’t belong there? They are just plants, too. Is it that they are somehow unintended, like houseguests that have decided to move in? Is it that they disrupt the homogeneity of their host plant’s space? Or is what I believe ‘the right way’ the yard should look somehow spoiled by their presence? Should I consider them invasive and decide I need to remove them? Through them away?
Hmm. I believe I am hearing echoes of some views that have been readily expressed on the news lately, although not about plants.
What is it about us humans that we are still so threatened by those who don’t look like us, who don’t look or sound like we think they should? Haven’t we evolved beyond centuries-old tribal fears? I think the answer is: no and yes.
On one hand, we come by these fears of people and things that look different from what we might prefer, honestly; to some degree, the fears are hard-wired. Centuries ago, such fears kept us safe. On the other hand, we have brains and can think logically, and we have hearts and know how to have empathy and kindness - also hardwired. We are a very sophisticated species and are capable of working with our hardwiring. This is what psychology and spirituality are about. We have evolved into these more inclusive, kinder capacities, and what a beautiful and wonderful thing that is!
The weeds I have in my flowerbeds are not harming anyone, other than perhaps my misguided sensibilities. If some plant were to actually be harmful or dangerous in some way, I would feel that separating myself from it is the action to take, weed or not. However, what we commonly call weeds are not inherently dangerous. Maybe they are just unloved. (Of course, some particular weeds are quite loved.)
Perhaps my weed/people analogy isn’t perfect, but I find that some of my biases are subtle and unconscious, and they merit a closer look. If a weed can help wake me up, I’ll take it.
So, I will think twice about how I view weeds – and other things. Here are my aspirations:
Even if I decide to remove a weed from sprouting up somewhere, I will do so with more tenderness and some respect for its inherent worth, and in many cases, its resilience. I will expand my view of what is lovable and allow for and even appreciate what is unique about such weeds. I will expand my sensibilities, which, after all, are nothing more than fabrications of my mind - views, opinions, and thoughts, all malleable and flexible. Thank God for that!
What are your thoughts about weeds?
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