Oak: Struggling On

On the surface Oak people have the qualities which many of us admire. They are possessed of an almost superhuman strength and endurance.

If there is a family crisis, while others are collapsing the Oak person takes charge, making necessary phone calls and arrangements, being by her very refusal to give up a source of strength to weaker folk. If an Oak person decides to do something the words "time" and "effort" are meaningless; all that matters is accomplishment of the goal. Illnesses which would fell others rarely stop them.

They are truly named, for the oak is one of the strongest of trees, its wood prized for its strength. Yet in this strength is a flaw; whereas others trees bend and yield to the wind, thus surviving, the oak is often blown down.

So, in a metaphorical sense is the Oak individual. Unlike an Elm person, who takes on heavy commitments out of a sense of vocation and joy, an Oak operates out of a sense of duty. He must be responsible, he must take charge when others falter, he must see things through. Most of all, he must not ever reveal weakness or ask another for help. That isn't who he is.

Ultimately, then, though we may admire the characteristics of Oak people we find it difficult to love them as equals. They don't allow themselves to be vulnerable or needy. Their sense of fun and playfulness is so undeveloped as to be nonexistent.

Beneath their strength is an unacknowledged but deep loneliness, and it isn't only close relationships with others which they miss, but those parts of themselves which they have denied expression. Ironically, without these elements of sensitivity, compassion, and lightheartedness to lighten the burdens they take on, their work is much harder.

The Bach Flower Essence Oak helps to reunite the energies of heart and soul with the mental will. Those who take it develop a new sense of flexibility and vitality. They may find creative solutions to problems which they could not have discovered while they were plodding dutifully on.

They will always be people you can count on, but, as their spirits lighten, and their hearts open, they learn that the easiest burdens to carry are those which are shared.

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