The Story: Security Blankets
“The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keep out the joy.” — Jim Rohn
This weathered lantern came from a young woman’s home in Oklahoma City. She had tried to repaint it, but time was winning. The edges flaked, the paint peeled, the years quietly revealing what was underneath. When I first saw it, I thought of a bird cage, something meant to hold light or life, both protected and enclosed.
Now, inside it sits a cactus, its own kind of paradox. A plant built for survival, wrapped in its armor of spines, keeping the world at a cautious distance. And yet, at the center, a bloom: soft, delicate, and radiant. It is a mirror of us, really: all the ways we try to stay safe, and the ways we still long to open, to be seen, to let something gentle grow where it’s least expected.
There’s a small door on this lantern, slightly ajar. It feels like an invitation, an opening to let the cactus out, or to let someone in. It’s a reminder that our defenses, even when they serve a purpose, aren’t meant to become prisons. The walls we build to stay safe can keep out the very love we were made for.
When my daughter was in third grade, her teacher shared the story of Linus from Peanuts, the boy who never goes anywhere without his blanket. But there’s a moment in A Charlie Brown Christmas when Linus drops his blanket to tell the true meaning of Christmas. For the first time, his security falls away, and he speaks from freedom. That small act, the letting go, is what I think about when I see this piece.
What are you clinging to? What kind of wall, prickly defense, or closed door needs to be opened?
Care Guide
Planting: Cactus or other desert succulent suited for dry environments.
Light: Bright light or full sun for at least 6 hours daily.
Water: This container has no drainage holes. Water very sparingly—just enough to keep the soil from becoming bone dry. A tablespoon or two every few weeks is often enough.
Environment: Keep indoors in bright light or outdoors in a covered area protected from frost and heavy rain.
Top Dressing: Use gravel or small stones to prevent water from pooling near the base of the cactus.
Encouragement: If the cactus begins to shrink, water once and wait; it will restore itself slowly.
Reminder
This lantern, like a cage, once enclosed something meant to shine. Now it holds life—resilient, guarded, but blooming all the same. The door is open. The light remains.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
With you in the soil and the story,
Ellie
A Living Story Disclaimer
Each Restoried Garden begins its journey in my hands but continues its story with you. Every vessel has been cleaned, prepared, and planted with care; however, once it leaves my garden, its life depends on your unique environment and tending. Please note that weather, watering, and placement all influence longevity, and I cannot be responsible for plant performance or wear over time. These pieces are meant to live, grow, and change, a reflection that no story truly ends; it simply takes root somewhere new.
