sage little cabbage

I bought Brussels Sprouts for the first time today (22Feb2020) and believe it or not, I can’t recall having ever seen fresh ones in real life before! They are so adorable! Their colour and the intricate design of their leaves make them so beautiful! I couldn’t stop looking at them.

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When I entered the second night of a two-part seminar at my church a few weeks ago I noticed potted plants decorated our group tables. I didn’t pay much attention to them as I set myself up in my spot. Not long after the speaker started he instructed us to examine one of the plants in front of us and ask God what he was trying to say to us through the plant.

I have always been a nerd interested in law, math, science and logic. However, in the last number of years I have been honing my artistic, creative and contemplative sides, so this little assignment excited me. What would I learn from something I see every day, usually without a second thought? Let me tell you, I could not believe how much I got out of this meditative exercise! I wrote many notes about what I was “hearing” while touching and looking at the flowers and leaves from a new perspective. Stuff like: 

• life has rough & beautiful parts;
• strength, softness & flexibility are great character traits;
• even though people can look the same each one of us is unique and perfectly designed;
• the rips and tatters don’t mean we are any less vital than when we were (seemingly) whole;
• different colours, shapes & sizes are all part of the world’s beauty & function;
• we are all connected to the same natural life sources: sun, water, air, food; and therefore connected to each other.

At the end, the speaker asked us to share how this exercise made us feel. When my turn came, I said I felt elated and encouraged, and that my mind was literally blown by how profound and relaxing it was!

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I used to hate Brussels Sprouts. I was essentially forced to eat them every time they made an appearance at our dinner table during my childhood and youth. Usually steamed or boiled, even with delicious butter, they were disgusting to me. “Eat them, they’re good for you,” my parents would say. But I would complain and refuse, or else gag them down followed by a swig of the milk glass in my right hand while the index finger and thumb of my left hand were tightly pinched on my nose to—always unsuccessfully—help with the revolt. Sometimes I would even stealthily hide them in my napkin to throw away (mom, dad, was I really that sneaky or did you find them hidden in the garbage?).

As an adult, I have tried a lot of foods I used to “hate” when I was a kid. I think a lot of us have probably done that. Often times I am shocked how much I like things I thought I didn’t, or was pleasantly surprised to enjoy them prepared in a different way. Brussels Sprouts are one of those foods. Roasted with balsamic glaze, sautéed with garlic or other spices, chopped raw in a salad, even boiled or steamed (minus the butter)—it doesn’t matter—I love them!

When I think about the Brussels Sprouts now my mind is blown, too. They are a metaphor for new perspectives and overlooked beauty, an invitation to have my horizons broadened and old ways of thinking changed, an opportunity to slow down and take in more than meets the eye—and it makes me love those cute green bundles even more.

Where are you reassessing old habits and exploring new perspectives?

And PS. something else I learned in the recent past was they are in fact called Brussels, not Brussel, Sprouts. I’d had it wrong for almost four decades and I didn’t have a clue. Look at this little veggie teaching me so much, while nourishing my mind and body at the same time. Amazing! I guess they aren’t a superfood for nothing.