Thrive

I was looking up quotes about love this morning and came across something that really made me think.  “The worst prison would be a closed heart.”
It seems to me that long after malice is a memory and selfishness had been banished love will remain.
I feel the lack of love is the reason for many problems.  To me love is giving and looking out for others.  It acts in the best interests of not just itself but those around. 
Therefore I do not think it is a bad thing to be closed to things like hate.  Closed by its very definition to me means shutting the doors and keeping out things that destroy.
We get visits from different birds.  Some I encourage while others I let know that this yard is closed.  There is one plover that stands on our roof and looks longingly into this yard.  Twice we have come home and found it here.  It is let know in no uncertain terms it is not welcome here.  It is not because we hate the bird, but it is just that this is not the place for it.  As far as I know it does not land here anymore.
It is the same with a family of crows.  One family we like but this family we discourage. They are bullies.  They have already attempted to kick out the crows we encourage.  So we kick them out and make provision for the defenceless.
So in my mind closed for some things is good.  But I do not think closed to new ideas, new learnings, possible new ways or new ideas is a good thing.  The word closed by its very nature suggests to me not being open.  Not being open to some things is right.  Not being open to all things limits possibilities.  If a shop was forever closed it would rule out the possibility of ever making a sale.
I tend to hold to the words of songs I find say the truth succinctly.  Like “you set me free with that ball and chain.”  A ball and chain suggest confinement, yet to me in this instance it suggests freedom.  It suggests a lack of access to what destroys but access to a multitude of other things which liberate.
Way to go I reckon.  Being closed to some things is a good, healthy and safe thing.  Being open to other things enables me to explore possibilities. Just like with a healthy plant keeping some things out of its environment enables the plant to thrive.
I thrive being open to love but closed to its opposite.