“The strength of weak people constantly appalls me. Have you ever seen a vine kill an oak tree? Deadly.” ~ Rae Foley

English Ivy.

While beautifully green and artfully climbing everywhere, it can also manage to gracefully kill trees and bushes. It slowly but beautifully wraps itself around the tree, sucking nutrients from the ground and blocking sunlight. It climbs up buildings and houses, inserting itself between pieces of siding and in weak points of tuckpointed brick. It can force itself into cracks of windows and flourish inside buildings that have been vacated.

Some people are like English Ivy. They seem innocent enough, but insert themselves into your life, all the while slowly sucking the energy from your very being. They are “helpful” in the most unhelpful ways — sometimes creating more work than they relieve. If left unguarded, the person resembling English Ivy will spread amongst your friends — undermining your friendships and confidants. I worked with people who HAD TO have been a form of English Ivy in their past lives. Not content with their own accomplishments, they work to devalue and deride any accomplishment you make that causes them to feel threatened.

Insidious. Invasive. Narcissistic.

Having recently had my hedgerow trimmed back, I have been pulling and pulling ivy vines in an effort to rid myself of them. Because they send out runners, one pull can yield a root piece that is more than 5′ long with smaller runners coming off of it. Just 15-30 minutes per day is good exercise but also a reminder to be careful what I let take root in my life. Seeds of discontent can fester and grow, blooming into a negative mindset that affects everything.

Life is too short for that.

Pull the ivy.