To dilate or constrict; that is the question

The tulips brought to us almost a week ago by our neighbors are open now, and beginning to shed their petals.  And I find myself wondering if this is why we humans have so much trouble opening; if watching the flowers has taught us that openness will inevitably precede death and loss.

But theirs is a single cycle, while we are always opening and closing: our eyelids blink, and our pupils dilate and constrict to help us process light. Our chests expand and contract to help us process air. And we are always opening and closing our doors and windows, hearts and minds, depending on perceptions of the weather.

Today I want to pay a little more attention to those places in me that are reluctant to open, and to the fear that lies behind reluctance.  Where am I constricted?  Where do I need to breathe more deeply if I am to feed my soul?