Grape or raisin.

Some days I feel like a grape. A big juicy grape full of love and compassion. I am ready to share, bursting with juice and joy. Feeling vibrant. Feeling bright. I am all full up and ready to take on the world. Give me a cape and let me at it all. And then some days I feel more like a raisin. I used to be a grape but the compassion is a bit dried up and I am a bit more shriveled. Not quite as bright. Not quite as much energy. And a little bit squishy or maybe even dry.

On the grape days I want to surround myself with other grapes. Strawberries, bananas, raspberries, cherries, melons. All of us fresh and bright and ready to spread a lot of positive energy. A fruit salad of juicy love and compassion and good vibes. Watch out world.

But on the raisin days, well… there is a reason most people do not put raisins in fruit salad. So what goes with raisins? Well, today I felt like a raisin. And I was surrounded by melons and cherries and berries. Finally I found a peanut – a little crunchy and cranky and salty. A good compliment to my raisin-self. And then I found a chunk of dark chocolate – a little bitter and sweet but smooth. Trail mix. It is very reassuring on the raisin days to have a few people in your court who are a little bit crunchy and salty and bitter and sweet. It’s all about balance.

If I were my own best friend I might remind myself to check in and determine if I am feeling like a grape or a raisin? What is my energy level? What do I need that day to be my best self? I think it is okay to be a grape one day and a raisin the next. But I also think it is important to recognize what you are on each day and then act and take care of yourself accordingly. If you find you are a raisin on most days what could you do differently to be a bit more grape-y? And on the grape days, how do you recognize those people who are feeling more like raisins and give them what they need? It’s all about balance.