Our many layers

As usual, I couldn't put into words the colors of the cactus I saw in Nan's garden. The most tender and richest green bud is surrounded, protected by the older, more weathered. The older leaves have grown from their plebian green to purple then a reddish hue as they get closer to the soil, making room for the strong.

I know I fiercely protect those in the tender middle and am not always so consciously aware as I survive the cracks of growth and approach the ground. But the journey to the outside allows us to mentor, shelter others, allowing them to carry the "cross." Along the way, we revel in the small victories of the journey, proudly bearing the new colors of battles won.