Do You like Orange Juice?

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"You know, I love a good glass of orange juice to start my day. Freshly squeezed, with the bits of pulp still floating around—just whole and real. There’s something about it that’s comforting, like you know exactly what you’re getting from that glass. But have you ever thought about what happens when the oranges you use aren’t in the best shape? Maybe they’re a little bruised or just not as fresh. The juice comes out kind of bitter, right?

It makes me think about how we set boundaries in our lives, especially when we’re dealing with wounds from the past—things like a mother wound or a father wound. When we haven't healed from those bruises, it’s a bit like using damaged oranges to make our juice. It affects the way we show up in the world, the decisions we make, and especially the boundaries we set.

And here's the thing: those wounds can create these voids in us, places where we’re just missing something. Maybe it’s a feeling of love or security that we didn’t get growing up. But when those places are empty, we sometimes fill them with things that don’t really belong—like unhealthy boundaries. We might let people in too close or, on the other hand, push them away too far because we haven’t dealt with those deep voids yet.

Just like how I have to be careful about the oranges I choose for my juice, we have to be careful about the emotional places we’re working from. If we’re coming from a place of hurt or emptiness, we might not make the best decisions about what’s good for us.

But you know what? It’s okay to ask for help with this stuff. Sometimes, we need someone like a counselor to help us sort through the bruised places, so we can heal and set better boundaries. Kind of like filtering out the bad parts of the juice so it tastes just right. We all need that from time to time, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

The bottom line is, even with the wounds we’re carrying, we still deserve to have healthy boundaries. We owe it to ourselves. And if we work on healing those bruises, the boundaries we set will be ones that actually honor who we are, rather than coming from a place of pain. So, next time you’re sipping your morning juice, think about the oranges in your life and how they’re shaping what you put out into the world.

And hey, as you go about your day, remember this—you are worthy of love, worthy of healing, and worthy of setting the kind of boundaries that reflect your true self. You don’t have to carry those bruises alone, and it's okay to ask for help. Whether it's through a counselor or trusted friend, make sure you have someone in your corner as you heal.

With care and compassion,
Catherine Harlan
Founder of Sparrows of Hope"

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