We had quite a wind storm here the other day. We’ve had much worse but the gusts were coming at just the right angle to make a lot of noise for me most of the night.
To be honest, I find wild weather kind of exciting. I like the changes it brings and how it makes me feel pretty cozy inside my home. In fact, I wrote my feelings of being blessed for a safe, warm place to sleep that night in my Gratitude Journal.
The next day, a lot of the leaves that had started to fill the trees with vibrant color were on the ground. It really started to look like fall out there. Which is just lovely.
I also noticed that there were a few smallish branches lying around. Not many but a few. I actually moved one off the road much to Charlies delight. He felt that the whole reason I must have gone out was to get him a really big stick to drag around.
It got me to thinking a little. I’ve seen pictures and been out and about after much worse wind storms and yet most of the trees remain don’t they? In fact I recall seeing pictures of some really devastated places after natural (and unnatural) events and there is often one or two trees still hanging on.
As I was walking, I heard a crunch and a snap behind me. Yup, Charlie had broken his lovely branch in half. He was quite pleased with his progress too I might add. I swear that dog was raised by beavers! So much so that he went on to try to break off some of the smaller twigs attached. But he couldn’t do it. They were bending and twisting and were still soft and pliable, so he couldn’t simply break them off. Not to say he didn’t try.
In a flash of understanding I realized that the larger branch had been hard and rigid; which is why is snapped off in the first place. It wasn’t able to bend and move with the wind as the other branches in the tree did.
Are you seeing where I’m going yet?
When we are rigid and inflexible life is much harder for us. If we can learn to accept where we are and bend with the wind we will survive our own life storms with much more grace.
It occurred to me that this might just be where the idea of a breaking point comes from. It might just explain why some people never reach a breaking point, but others do and some people reach theirs with horrible results.
Being soft, flexible and able to adjust when you need to will make you much harder to break. When we are hard and inflexible we become brittle, bitter and we easily find our breaking point. We resist change, resist situations and refuse to accept things as they are. I can attest to the power of bending, being soft and stretching to accept what is right now. It brings peace. Being intractable helps no one, least of all yourself.
This seemed so fascinating to me because so many out there think that being hard and fixed means being strong. We think that the toughest of us will survive, and the people who are able to be flexible or yielding are weak; but in truth being unyielding and unable to give a little isn’t good for us.
Have you ever felt like you’ve reached your breaking point? How did you handle it?
I absolutely love this analogy, Bonnie! It really emphasizes how flexibility is key when life can be so crazy and unpredictable. I’ve always been a black-and-white kind of person, so this has been a challenge for me. I always adjust when I’m near my breaking point. =P
Hi Samantha
I think we learn this lesson as we age and life finds new and creative ways to challenge and teach us. I think as we understand more of the world we mature away from black and white thinking.
My husband always claimed to be a Druid 😉
Being hard and strong can indeed snap and break without repair; but soft, pliable, able to bend allows for the air to blow over us so we can return to our original shape.
I heard Charlie while he was gnawing on that branch 😉
The “BEST – NO – LESS”. Please continue posting. You have a skill that speaks many messages.
Must be because the Hobbit is being promoted at the moment – this post made me think of the trees and how they remained sturdy and fixed but when they needed to fight they really came into their own. And then there were the trees in the lost forest. Trees are always the strong silent type yet they provide so much to all of us.
I love the Hobbit Roberta. I have three copies. lol One is almost worn out but I can’t get rid of it – we’ve been through too much together. The second is an anniversay edition and the third replaces (but can never actually) the first! I first read it in grade 2…loved it from the moment I started it.
Okay..enough gushing lol Yes, trees, nature really touch something deep within us don’t they?
I agree that this is a wonderful lessons from the trees. We have to bend with the wind…or else be broken.
Sent via email (Thanks Cindy!)
Hi Bonnie,
I loved your post today. Believe me, I am the queen of flexibility and actually, it has made me much stronger in the long run.
With all the set backs that have entered my life these past few years, your blog post reminds me how important it is to bend, be flexible and stay strong. Don’t have time to be weak.
Thanks for sharing,
Cindy
https://www.facebook.com/#!/getitdonemarketingsolutions
Trees are wonderful teachers, aren’t they? 😉
I strongly agree with that Kensbackhome! Trees, nature in general, are our best teachers.