Parasitic or helpful?

IMG_1610, originally uploaded by torri_g.

Sometimes I will shot a picture that I think I want to blog, and then once I look at it downloaded, for the life of me I can't think of why. This is one of those pictures. Why in the world did I have to take the picture of the mistletoe that lives in the tree in the backyard? I thought tonight maybe if I did a little reading about mistletoe that I would be inspired...well I'm inspired but not quiet in the way that I thought I would be. Reading about mistletoe being a parasite and viewing the picture of it growing in my backyard tree, some how my brain made a leap to a phone call conversation that I had with my Mom. It was a family related conversation and usually I keep those conversation to myself and off of my blog. I'm probably still going to keep most of it off of my blog here tonight, but just the thought of a parasitic thing living within the branches of the tree is to good of a thing for me to pass up on. A family tree would be the comparison, filled with all different sized branches. Some growing out strong and high, some twisting and turning a bit in places but strong and thriving. Then the parasite is introduced. Taking, and taking from the host and having little to no concern about how it is affecting the host in the long run. In time it is so much a part of the tree that you just can't remember how it got started. That is where the real danger lies when talking about a family tree. By the time you realize that the family member is a parasite, you have been used up. You have helped feed this thing to grow to a size that just is no longer helpful for anything. So what do you do? I have my own thoughts on what to do...but they are just that...my own thoughts which I will keep to myself.(Mostly because I'm sure talk of any kind of violence is still not a very accepted thing.) Maybe the best course of action is to cut the branch that the parasite has grown on, maybe there isn't a good course of action to fight it's further growth. Maybe it is time for the rest of the tree to say enough already. I'm happy that the roots of this tree are standing in solid ground, and don't worry about being taken down by the parasite there are enough branches strong enough to catch hold and keep the tree standing.

If I were willing to share more this would make more sense possibly, or maybe not because I have never claimed to be the most sane person in this world. The good thing is I'm no more insane than half of the people I have met in my life and I'm far more sane than a certain branch in my family tree.