I'm not sure as to the exact color of my thumb, but it certainly isn't green. So I don't know what prompted the memory, but recently my mind wandered toward an activity I witnessed as a child - repotting plants.
My mom used to repot her plants, explaining to me that plants must have additional space in order to continue growing. Specifically when you see roots creeping out of the bottom of the pot or when the plant stops growing it may be rootbound and in need of a larger pot in which to thrive.
Since I have such bright readers I know you're already ahead of me. I started thinking about how our children become rootbound if we don't give them enough space to grow. Now that we have a teenage driver we have discovered that we are not always his first choice for social interaction. Sometimes he just wants to get into a car and go visit his friends. At times I miss the days where he wanted to watch a movie with us or play one of our exciting new board games (I'm serious about the exciting part).
Of course, plants also need to be trimmed. Trimming a plant cuts away dead or dying portions, helps it maintain its shape, while encouraging new growth. Sometimes we need to help our children prune their activities, commitments, and areas of life that may grow out of control, resulting in a misshapen child (one without a clear center or form). This year our oldest has decided (at least for today) not to participate in marching band. This will allow him to focus some of his limited energies into other areas of growth (such as volunteering as a leader in the children's program of our church) that will develop his core and enhance his true shape.
So keep your eyes open for opportunities to repot - giving your child more space so his roots continue expanding and his branches continue growing, while standing ready to help them prune - enabling them to protect their core and to find new areas of healthy growth.
Someday you'll have a plant that's prepared to reproduce - we're definitely not yet there!
