The Onion

If you are a fan of the animated movie genre, you most likely have encountered "Shrek", a hilarious "kid" movie with many adult nuances. Shrek, our hero, is a  wonderful, apparently one level being-an ogre that dwells in the swamp. With an ogre you get what you get, right? Or do you look deeper and see what lies beneath the skin of the onion? But one of the best comments Shrek makes is that "ogres are like onions-there are many layers". Multidimensional, yes, indeed we are all like our green friend, we all have layers-layers placed on us through societal expectation, layers placed to protect that inner heart that perhaps we try to hide, layers of depth of character waiting to unfold.
But when you slice into an onion, the biochemical reaction is that the eyes water. They well up, no doubt about it- unless, of course you are cutting a genetically modified" no tears" onion. (that perfect onion without the accompanying mess is not real-nor is anyone that pretends it is all perfect, we all have some crying to do)No thank you, I will go for the raccoon eyes, thank you very much! But, deep inside the onion is the potential to grow-there is often a green shoot ready to reach out and grow from within. But you need to peel the layers in order for the new onion to sprout. The same applies to the human condition. When you slice through and peel back the layers that we place around our heart, it can be messy-if you cut through the thick skin there are going to be tears. Perhaps a lot, the nose will run, it will be messy! But in that dark, protected center part of the heart, there is that potential for growth, if we just peel back those layers and reveal that tender green. Green is the color of Annahata, or the heart chakra. If we can get through the mess and the tears and reach the green center, we connect with self love, we open to ourselves and that reflects in open heartedness to accepting and loving others just as much as we love and accept ourselves. We become open to life and all its possibilities. It is messy, it is a chore, but some dishes are not the same without the flavor an onion brings, just as  life is so much better when  you  cut through the layers and grow from within.