Fear and Dandelions

OK, it may be spring fever or it may be cosmic insight - your call - but it occurred to me this morning that we treat fear and dandelions very similarly and they have a lot in common.

Dandelions are the poster children for what is "wrong" with your yard/garden. They are to be eradicated at all costs because those spiky leaves and shaggy, yellow blooms shout "Inept! Failure! Sloth!" to all who see them poking through your carefully tended lawn and garden. They are seen as wholly negative and even those who otherwise profess a reasonable environmental awareness will resort to the most toxic herbicides to keep those nasty weeds at bay.

We do the same with fear. There is nothing good about fear. To show fear is to shout to the world "I'm weak! I'm incapable! I'm stupid!" Even those who value emotions and have great competence when dealing with anger, joy, love, and grief will do all they can to avoid, quash, and deny fear as wholly negative. Fear is something that is only whispered as something to be gotten rid of as soon as possible.

The thing is both dandelions and fear are good for us! Dandelion greens are better than spinach, their blossoms make great wine and fritters, their roots a fine coffee-like beverage - all of which are rich in minerals, vitamins, and healthful tonics. There is a very good reason the colonists brought them here (yes, they brought dandelions here on purpose!) - they are one of the best sources for vital nutrients and they are hearty in many, many environments.

Fear is also good for us. Different aspects of fear can keep us from physical harm, alert us to imminent threats, inspire us to move or connect in new ways, and bring our attention to what is vitally important in moments of confusion and chaos. As with dandelions, one can access great bounties of nutrients by learning a bit more about how to use this gift of the gods (yes, the gods/God gave us fear on purpose).

So go ahead and eat the weeds! Engage with fear! We'll all be better for it!