In Difficult Times We Blossom

This past winter was a tough one where I live and many of the plants took a big hit. We had been down in the low to mid twenties (Fahrenheit) for many days which is unusual for us. While most places get much colder than that during the winter months, our vegetation is not designed to survive these colder temperatures. By the time spring had come, so many of our plants were brown, leafless and appeared to be dead.

At first glance, one would have thought they were all dead and need to be replaced. After all, there was very little left to each plant. There was no sign of life. It looked grim for them. My thoughts began to turn towards digging up what was left and replacing the plants.

Then the strangest thing happened. As the temperatures warmed up and the spring rains fell, I began to notice some life in each plant. This did not happen all at once either but little by little, it began to show up. With special care and extra water, many of the plants continue to grow again with some doing better than others.

Isn't life the same way? We go through moments where our feet are walking in the fire. We think there is no tomorrow and no hope for improvement. Yet, the strangest thing happens - we blossom! Somehow through all the rough moments when it appeared we could not make it, we noticed some new life. We noticed new growth. It just showed up without any fanfare or announcement.

Just as the plants know how to send up new shoots of growth or fill their branches with leaves, so do our human bodies and minds. We are complex, biological organisms that have far more power to heal, grow and recover from some of the worst situations imaginable.

Consider those darkest and most difficult times in life that you may have traveled. I'm sure that while you were in the midst of those moments, it appeared there was no way through. Yet, during these times, many parts of your life were growing and preparing you to blossom.

It is a beautiful thing about humans that we have the capacity to take some very rough moments and turn them into beauty. We are much stronger, more resilient and full of courage than we often realize. Everything we need is within us, located in our mind, our body and our spirit. May we cherish, honor and love all that we are and all the growth we have experienced.

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