I was waiting for a doctor’s appointment and decided to touch a cactus outside the entry door to the office. I have NEVER thought about touching any plant at this office other than open reading material; until this curious day. I took off a pear of the cactus and split it in two and it BIT me!

I got pricked so hard by this cactus. I sheepishly informed the doctor (with my head down) that,” I touched your cactus and got pricked”. He smiled and said, “It doesn’t like to be touched”. Every once in a while, I can still feel my finger hurt where I touched that damn thing. Moral of that story for me was – it’s just like everything in life; I gained experience after an action that was taken.

Maybe it’s best not to touch people’s things and WHAT possessed me to touch it that day?! The cactus is still living, it is still sharp. I am still living and have an occasional prick sensation in my finger. Shit happens. There was obviously a boundary, it has its own feelings about being touched, and it knows how to protect itself. I’m just thankful it wasn’t poisonous. “I LIVED!”

One of the most valuable things in life is time. The attention you give to the cherished artifacts or people in your life is a choice. We all seek the opportunity for a long lifetime to get “pricked” enough to become educated or experienced. Some children have experienced more than adults. Experience is relative to the person and sometimes we have to be mindful that “first times” come with growth and “long times” can cause dependencies if not managed.

We may be discriminated against, feared, judged, abused; when we walk out of the flames and find peace, answers, or change; the person usually looks back and says, “I LIVED”! “That will never happen to me again!”

We may be repaired, permanently broken, bent, stretched, scarred but no matter the analysis of personal life-path options, life starts the moment you wake up and put your feet on the ground to start your new day.

We are fragile beings that carry the wounds of life; they do not disappear or always heal. We will never find the picture-perfect vision for all of our ideas, but we will be guided by our walk and sometimes wise or unwise decisions. Unlike the unlovable cactus, human beings deserve to be loved, appreciated, respected, and honored just for being who they are and who they will become. Change is inevitable and if we refuse to capture the hints of our life, something will move in a new direction.

When love is described, it is often associated with fire, passion, red, and heat. Your organs and breathe change with the rhythm of your chosen partner. You learn to dance, exchange, and reciprocate. When light is described, it is often associated with sight, emotion, enlightenment, heat, and color. Light is highly associated to the color white, just like the color red from love.

The color white can enter and exit the organs (diaphragm, heart, and lungs), with breath, and to the consciousness in a similar manner as a sexual exchange with another person. It contains love that is unconditional, pure, and too beautiful for words to express. I had a “first time” with this experience and will say the Divine/Holy is too beautiful for my body to consume without tears. I’m just thankful it wasn’t poisonous. “I LIVED!”