“House plants on the driveway? That’s new.” I say.

My wife responds, “This plant is dying. I think it has a fungus.” She’s pulls it out of the pot and begins brushing dirt off the roots.

A bit later I walk back out. “How’s it going?”

“It turns out, it was two plants. One has died and their roots are all tangled.”

For the next couple hours, my wife carefully sits and untangles the roots. She delicately cares for and treats the remaining one while removing the pieces of the other.

***

Fast forward.

“Jaaaake! Come here!”

Now, if you’ve read any of my previous emails, you’re probably wondering what kind of hyper creativity my kids just got into…that’s exactly where my mind went.

But, as I step into the living room, my wife is standing there pointing at the plant. Pointing at tiny, little leaves.

The plant is growing again.

***

This hit me hard.

I’m coming up on the 1-year anniversary of my dad’s death. And what I’ve come to realize is…under the surface, life is a tangle. So many things are all tangled together.

***

The last couple weeks, I’ve had conversations with friends, clients, and relatives who are closing a business after decades, just got laid off, lost a major client, lost a key employee, staring into a pending divorce, or mourning the passing of a parent.

Reader, whatever you are dealing with, it’s ok to hurt.

Sit and untangle the roots.

It takes time.

Loss is messy.

Growth is messy.

And one day, you’ll look up and there will be small leaves.

Jake

P.S. Sometimes we need help untangling things. Consider reaching out to a friend or a professional. The book Every Moment Holy Vol. 2 has been a huge help guiding me forward.

If it’s a business issue you're facing, feel free to hit reply.

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