Blowing in the Wind

BLOWING in the WIND

I’m sitting in one of my favorite eating places. High on a hill, its floor-to-ceiling windows overlook our valley town. Today I’m fascinated by things blowing in the wind.

A stormy day can be fascinating.

A few years ago, new landscaping was done outside the big windows. Improvements included a nice walkway and a large variety of desert plants.

I chose to have brunch here so I could watch a storm blow in. Dark clouds hovered over the mountains to the west and heavy rain had been predicted.

While eating, I saw rain clouds drop their load over the far side of the valley. But not once did a drop of rain come near me. The clouds always moved northward.

Picture this as a quivering green desert plant.

The only constant was the wind! Most of the plants outside reacted strongly to its force.

The least reaction was in plants which together created a hedge. But even when the wind calmed down, thin-spiked pom-shaped plants caught my attention. They never stopped quivering.  

Observing the reactions of the plants and bushes, I began to think about the winds of adversity. People react in different ways, just like plants.

It seems to me that people who stick together, like the bushes outside, have less severe reaction to adversity. In times of personal stress, I have been thankful for the hedge-like support of family and friends.

The quivering poms each stood alone. I kept thinking they’ll stop quivering when the wind calms down, but they never did.

In the winds of adversity how will I react?

There’s no doubt that high winds can cause a great deal of damage. Personal winds of adversity can do the same. But consider the example of the hedge.

Planted next to each other, the hedge did not eliminate the wind, it only softened the blow. In our lives that kind of support can keep us grounded.

We humans will always be blown about by winds of adversity. 

Do you want to plant yourself as a stand-alone pom? Or would you rather grow as part of a supportive hedge?