Thorns

The Rose Needs the Thorn. So Do You.

Beautiful things don't survive by being soft all the way through. The rose grows thorns because predators exist. The bramble protects the berry. The cactus hoards water in the desert and dares you to take it.

The thorn isn't the opposite of beauty—it's what allows beauty to exist. It's the sharp edge around the sacred. The boundary that says "this far, but no further." The pain that protects what's precious.

You wear the thorn when you've learned: softness without defense is just an invitation to be consumed. Love without boundaries is just exposure. Beauty that can't protect itself doesn't last.

The thorn draws blood. That's the point.