As I sit here, on this glorious sunny morning in the mountains, the wind has been blowing fiercely. One of my patio umbrella’s, closed and secured in a patio table, was upended and flown into the yard. One of my potted plants was rolling around in the driveway. The wind feels angry. But, this is a big part of living here. The wind. At times it feels cruel.
While observing the 50 year old spruce directly outside my window, I can see the branch’s drooping from the weight of the wind. It also tends to dry out my plants quicker than normal.
And as I observed the fatigue in this one tree, I had compassion, not just for it, but for myself and others, as sometimes we too are battered almost to the point of breaking.
So, I wondered, how do we battle the bend that forces us to hold on? To hold on to hope and dream of rain, of sunshine, and a better day.
Our environment tends to shape us and I’ve come to realize that, at times, I need shade. I need hope and dreams. I think that is what it feels like to be truly alive. Because the storm always passes and the sun will come again.
Just like the tree, we grow in multiple directions. The tree reaches deep within the earth to feed its roots. What we don’t see, that resides underground, is what gives us and the tree its foundation. It’s strength. And we all need recovery time for our roots to grow deep. To reflect, to ponder, or to just wander through the forest and listen for that still quiet whisper that doesn’t speak amid the chaos and the busyness. In times of turmoil, it is our deeply rooted sense of self and faith, that secures our weight and allows us to bend, instead of breaking.
Above ground are the branches and the leaves where we absorb the elements of daily life. We all blow with the seasons from spring to winter in the course of revolving months. Times of fruiting, time of hibernation, flourishing and recovery. Sometimes in summer, I yearn for fall. For the decay of the previous season and the knowing that winter is near. A time for introspection and healing.
So keep moving, in whatever direction you find your way, but remember that constant movement, and the battering of the storm will cause some of us to break.
Learn to bend, and do so with grace. If your plate is full, share that with others. If not, release the passing of the ingested turmoil which brings us out into the Light. To a fresh dawn and new day. To times we have not yet enjoyed.
Sometimes, what the tree needs and what we need is to let go. To let go of control and let the wind and the spirit lead us to a deeper faith and understanding.
“Do not allow your hope to be extinguished with time. No matter what this world might take from you, do not let it take your faith that another experience is possible, another chapter will begin one day, a new life can be formed from the ruins. If there is one thing that you must hold onto, it is only this—that change is not possible, it’s inevitable. It can be different, and better, than it ever was before.” Brianna Wiest from The Pivot Year
“A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life.”
– CHRISTOPHER GERMER
Bringinthesheaves 