Flowering without roots

Last night, in the middle of the night, I found myself thinking about flowers.  And this phrase came to me, and kept coming back to me:

A plant doesn't need good roots to flower.  It needs roots to stay.

I would roll over.  Go back to sleep, and the phrase would repeat.  Again and again.  I guess there was a part of me that REALLY wanted me to hear it.

I have seen plants flower with their roots barely touching the dirt.  I have seen them flower in water, with the roots over rocks, in dry arid gravel.  It doesn't always take a good root system for a plant to flower, even if only momentarily.  But for the plant to stay, to be around for a long time, it needs roots.  Good roots.

Most of my life, I have been either actively losing weight or actively gaining it back.  I always did well in the weight loss phase. I'd make a big splash. Basically, I'd flower - all showy and beautiful, seemingly having it all together.  But I never developed roots.  I never did the work to make the roots of choice and control grow.  I never maintained my weight losses for any length of time because I never allowed myself to learn how.

So this time, I am planting deeper.  I am watering and feeding.  And, more importantly, I am weeding - noticing the things growing in my soul that don't belong there and removing them before THEY grow deep roots.  Have you ever noticed how much deeper are the roots of weeds than the plants we intended to occupy that space? Me, too. So I am nurturing the habits and attitudes that will serve me with health and joy.  And if I do this consistently, the roots will grow and the weight will be released.  When I stop doing this, or start doing it sporadically, I will be giving the weeds permission to take over.  And I am tired of doing that.  I am weary to the depths of my soul.  This time, it is time.  Time to finish the job I started. Time to cultivate roots, not weeds.