Growing in front of our own eyes Veterans Affair benefits will be topic of meeting

Those who grow houseplants know that when the plant ceases to thrive it may mean that it has outgrown the container and needs to be repotted into something larger. In the new pot, roots are no longer bound up and the plant starts to grow again.

Wherever there is growth, there is a need to replace that which no longer accommodates the new growth for something bigger. Children outgrow their clothes and shoes. Growing families need homes with more bedrooms and cars with more seats.

Vegetation needs to be pruned to allow for more space.

This is also true on an emotional, intellectual and spiritual level.

In our youth we developed structures of knowing based on what we were taught and from our firsthand experience. As we gained more experience and listened to new teachers, we necessarily revised our structures of knowing to accommodate these new realities.

Here are some examples of how early structures of knowing were revised.

“There is not a Santa Claus but my parents sacrificed to give me gifts.”

“My parents don’t know everything. That is okay because I can also learn from others.” “Being the center of attention does not get me as far as being a team player.”

Fast forward to our Third Chapter. Some may think that the shedding of structures of knowing is only a part of our youth. That is not true.