Globe Thistle

It's Pronoun Awareness Day!
 
I smile and wave as I approach a table full of friendly faces, tucking my curly, shoulder-length hair behind one ear.
 
“There she is! Great to see you!” my friend grins as I take a seat beside her. 
 
Her sweet, simple greeting sent a wave of sadness through me. As a “hetero-passing” cis female (ASAB), I’ve been able to walk into a room and hear things like, “There she is!” without any fall-out. I move through the world with my outer appearance matching the commonly accepted pronouns. It’s an immense privilege that has freed me from the often daily trauma that comes with being misgendered.
 
As the collective narrative around gender expands, I feel an even closer connection to one of my favorite materials, Globe Thistle. On the outside, they’re a bluish-purple globe, but when you slice them open, they reveal a beautiful spectrum of petal colors. Just like each of us, they represent so much more than a solitary hue. (I’ve even gotten into some lighthearted debates over whether they’re blue or purple!)

So many colors to offer.
 
 
Just as I’m cautious not to assume gender identity, I approach Global Thistle with care. These delicate and sweet-looking ornamental flowers look very innocent but in fact are very brittle and sharp, from petal to stem.
 
Practically speaking, I often use Globe Thistle because they retain the color in their petals and don’t have a whole lot of oil that affects the resin. But between you and me, I mostly use them for the reminder that there’s always more to all living things than what meets the eye.