Tender, Not Wilting

My Withstanding Chrysanthemum,

We’ve got one more month before 2025 is over. It feels surreal to even write that, I remember the start of the year like it was last week.

The last time we met here, I was struggling to get back on track. After I “picked up my overdue progress trackers and X’d out all the boxes I didn’t complete,” I went back to the basics and took some inventory.

Y’all, look at my flower. I picked a sunflower for my visual, Chile, why is it brown?!

Now yes, brown is a beautiful color, and I don’t want brown sunflower petals.

I debated showing this because “How can I be a leader if I’m struggling with self-care?”
By being transparent, creating a plan, and following through.

The Petal Health Assessment this round was surprising. Even though I could be taking better care of me, I haven’t let the soil get too dry. I was proud that none of my categories were wilting. Tender? Yes. But not wilting.
And in this current climate, that is success, resilience, and resistance.

My highest score was spiritual, and I was shiggidy shocked because I’ve been wrestling with religion, God, and my relationship with both. That made me reflect on religion versus spirituality, and how God might still be tending to my garden even when I don’t give Her the credit.

More on that later, though.

If you’re part of Boquet and signed up for the mailing list, do the assessment this month. Send me an email with your findings: What surprised you? What are you proud of? How can we support your tender or wilting petals?
Our Boquet is only as beautiful as each flower in it.

Always growing, but staying rooted,
Bo