Did you look at the picture? Did you just say oh cute or did you really listen to what it said? It said, “Be a pineapple, stand up tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside.”
So many times, we forget everything that this saying represents. For instance, be a pineapple, well there’s a conundrum. Not literally, silly, but figuratively. Pineapples have a lowly start, grow from the ground only to reach about 6-12 inches off the ground their whole lives, only to be cut down and sent all around the world. They are enjoyed by many cultures and traditions, many foods are blessed by the addition of pineapple, even dog food. So, they touch millions of lives in a very real way. Not a bad way to exist if you ask me.
But let’s get the next part “Stand up tall”. As moms many of us reminded our kids to stand up tall, stop slouching, many finishing and military schools have drilled it into their pupils, and even doctors have worked hard to get their patients to stand up tall. It is physically harmful to our bodies, not just our nervous system getting pinched, but also our muscle strength, bone density and skin are all affected by whether or not we stand up tall. So, it is not only healthful to us, but we look so much better, and we exude more confidence than we may be feeling.
Wear a crown, what is that supposed to mean? Well, if you are a Christian, you are a child of the King of Kings, which means you are his child and that means a prince or a princess and we know they wear crowns. If you are not a Christian, your head is often referred to as a crown, so it could mean remember who you are. No one is created dumb, without gifts, or of no value to society, it is the world, or others who have wrongly judged and convinced folks of this because they don’t have enough money, or they don’t have enough friends, or they don’t have enough stuff, blah blah blah. I think you can see I think it is hog wash. All of us were created with good gifts, intelligence, and value to our society or we wouldn’t be here. We may make choices that impede that our cloud our vision, but we can always make new choices, and corrections to our mindset.
Be sweet on the inside, huh? Don’t you mean sweet on the outside. No, if you look at a pineapple it has a very tough exterior able to withstand horrible weather and protect its fruit, where it is sweet. If the sweet was on the outside, it would melt in the heat, or the torrential rains and wind. So only the person who waited for it to ripen, was willing to do the work to peel the outer skin is rewarded with the sweet fruit. Much like folks who take the time to invest in others, even if it is only the cashiers, servers, clergy, neighbors, teachers, coaches, etc. Everyone wants to be loved and appreciated, but how much are we doing that for others that in turn they might reciprocate it to us?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. When we do, we all are blessed with the gifts each of us have because we move past the hard exterior that is necessary to deal with daily life and get to enjoy why we are all here.
