Years ago I was cut to the quick.
By whom… I never knew.
One day I was hanging out in the forest enjoying the day and the next minute, the pain!
I never dreamed that this could possibly happen to me.
It was a long time ago but I can still remember the burning and the shame.
It was so unexpected and came out of nowhere.
No one else was attacked or injured, only me.
I still don’t know if I was a target or not or if it was just a random act of violence.
And all my life totally changed on that day!
Now I’m old and gray and the scars of the past are just that.
Scars of the past.
The day someone cut off my branch made me different than the rest of my family.
I was unique, even if it was in a deformed way.
I tried for years to cover up the disfigurement growing scab after scab around the cut but it never quite closed.
You can literally see my veins and rings that are normally tucked away safely inside my bark keeping me safe.
Instead, my bleeding heart was open to the world.
After all the years that I cursed my tormentor, I finally realized that I could change that around.
As I was never going to get rid of the scar I might as well embrace it and heal the wound inside.
By opening my heart a little bit at a time the cracks grew wider until it split wide open.
No longer just heartwood (tight and dense) it was now an open heart ready to love.
And love I have.
It’s been a good life and one that I would never change.
Instead of worrying about my defect I now embrace it and thank the soul that initiated the change.
Because here I stand.
For all to see.
Imperfect and perfect at the same time.
Jigsaw Puzzle
If you need help with instructions click here.
