Onions are deceiving
At first glance they are dried out, flakey, colorless, and appear to be on their last legs . . . useless really, certainly not edible.
Yet, so many of our favorite savory dishes contain onions. How can something that appears to be wasting away add so much depth, flavor and texture to our food?
There is more to an onion than meets the eye. Onions have numerous layers and the further you dig in, the more fresh, supple,, sweet, powerful and scented they get. These layers provide needed nourishment for the original bulb that is protected in the very middle of the onion- it is pure and perfect.
In this stage of my life, I am like an onion. I am dried out, as demonstrated by my wrinkles, I am losing the color in my face and hair; I don’t turn many heads these days and I rarely have people look me in the eye. I am overlooked in a crowd of youthful people- people look through me as if I have already expired.
Like an onion, my looks are deceiving. Underneath are layers of identities that have been responsible for my growth. Each layer formed to help me adapt to my environment and fit in with others so I could survive and thrive.
My first layer formed soon after I was born. It was the female, people pleasing gender identity. I learned very quickly to be a “girl” so others could relate to me. I wore dresses, put on good manners, pretended to like dolls, and learned to read others so as to anticipate their needs.
Once I went to school, I put on another layer of identity, that of the perfectionist. I learned very quickly that to survive in school and get the nourishment of attention and approval I had to be a straight A student, win contests and races, and never stop striving. This layer helped me prepare for the next stage of my life, my career.
During my career, a layer I worked on for years was my productivity identity. From this layer I learned to work on my to-do list, keep my email box empty, anticipate the needs of the people I served and have those things ready. Be on call 24/7- keep asking myself the question: What’s next?
The identities that I developed throughout the stages of my life shaped who I have become. They helped me develop and grow into the person I am today. But I no longer need them because underneath them is a strong, powerful core that is my essence. It no longer needs protection or nourishment from the outside. It has a constant source of energy- it is enough on its own- it is unique and powerful- full of depth and texture and flavor- It is the identity of LOVE.
