Life happens…

One minute we are doing great. The next, an issue came out of nowhere, changing our entire world and possibly, life trajectory. Somehow, we get over and carry on. All through this journey on earth, we encounter this as if it were a cycle. It is clear then that this is a part of life. Joy and adversity seem to be two sides of the same coin. Both are experienced by all walks of life. No one is exempt from this.

Since hard times are inevitable, but how we get through them is what makes the difference. I remember this one time Jamaica was experiencing a dry spell. I looked around my yard and saw hundreds of leaves on the ground. It was slightly disheartening because leaves belong on the trees. Plus, raking up the yard would be a chore.

In that moment, I had an epiphany. Come to think of it, I while writing this piece, I am getting one too. Leaves are shed because there is not enough water to sustain the entire plant. Back then, it showed me that plants have their hard times too, and they were designed to adapt to the changes in the environment to survive. It’s like they focused on what they could control.

Did their leaves matter? Yes. But their survival was of utmost importance. Somehow, there is an element of hope. How would they know that rain would come again? There was no guarantee that it would. The trees were somehow whispering to me “Don’t Quit”.

If trees actively attempt to adapt to changes to survive, can’t we as humans attempt to do something similar? There are various options out there to assist to numb the pain. However, we must take the sustainable route. The aim should not only to survive, but to live. Today, reflecting on the trees made me realize the importance of being properly nourished in adversity. What do we opt to feed our lives on when issues come our way? That determines what how well we progress in hard times.

We are often discouraged because of the intensity of the struggle. Seemingly, life is at a stand-still. Like in the case of trees, adversity acts as a teacher. Can we therefore see these losses as lessons? Adversity teaches us the art of endurance, the composition of our character and the science of hope. Maybe the issues will not change, but we will, for the better. Therefore, when troubles come, respond well. Though the fight is hard, don’t quit… Besides, trouble comes to those that trouble you.

^{Photo by “Joel” Tucker (IG: @jo_media_)}