Verde, Viridian: Green

Green is often associated with jealousy, money, and environmentalism, but what pray tell does it have to do with singledom? Not a lot, I suppose, although, it’s said to be a “calming color” and sometimes, I can get so wound up in my single track thinking that I could use a bit of natural calm.

One of the greatest struggles I find in my singledom is that of jealousy. At times, I feel jealous of my married friends as they virtually always have someone with whom to share the adventure of the day. They have someone to lean against when winds of life are blowing and tempests swell…

Yet, much strength can be found in independence.

I have an unusual fascination with green pond scum, I enjoy “shooting it” with my iPhone SE… as a young girl, my family would often visit my aunt’s home along the Grand River. On one side of the street is the river and on the other is swamp land. On those stagnant waters, would often grow a type of algae.  Since her road is gravel, I found much delight in throwing stones into those waters, poking holes in the green layer.

As a single adult, I too can grow a green layer if I become stagnant in my thinking, and then I need someone or even an internal check up to “throw some rocks” into the green and poke holes into my faulty thinking.

The  question keeps arising, can faulty thinking be beneficial? Meaning, my thick green algae layer that needs to have holes poked into it from time to time – can it be of benefit? In part, I think it can. When we have the courage to be vulnerable, to express what we’re thinking, how we’re feeling, this can help to forge a greater, deeper bond with another. A trusted friend or advisor. The trouble is when this becomes an invasive and pervasive species on the pond of life, chocking out other forms of life and eventually our lives as well.

What we need is balance; standing in the middle of the teeter totter, barrel or log running down the river, break dancing without breaking any bones. Still waters may run deep, but they also tend to turn green…and not into magical bean stalks that reach the sky, rather the bottom feeders and the bottom of life leading to strife. May this lovely color not lead us thusly, rather let it lead us to the rich promised land of feeding others a rich, healthy dose of magnesium and other healing minerals.

(Fun fact, chlorophyll and hemoglobin (blood) are of the same make up – only one requires magnesium and the other iron for optimum health) so our “greens” can be healthy – in moderation! Let’s go eat a salad!