Rememering Heather

You’ve heard of the law of the harvest. It is that we reap what we sow. In practice, if you exercise your body and mind, and if you eat healthy, you’ll be healthier. You’ve sown seeds of strength and wellness, so you justly expect to harvest strength and wellness. Sow and reap; that’s fair. It’s reasonable to expect you’ll harvest apples some day if you plant an apple tree. But sometimes a storm blows a tree right out of the ground. Sometimes, a sneaky little porcupine will come along in the night and eat the bark off the trunk of your tree, all the way around (like happened to our trees). It doesn’t seem fair, but we won’t be getting apples off those trees that fed the porcupine. There will always be storms and porcupines. There’ll be college students who never reach their educational goals due to illness, injury, accident or even sometimes death. Divorce will happen to people who don’t want it and tried to avoid it. Some chain-smoking alcoholics will live long lives with never a cancer or liver issue. Then, one seemingly strong and fit unexpectedly dies. We’ve seen some of these things up close, and when we experience such struggles (or any of the numberless challenges in life that cause sorrow), we realize life really isn’t fair…at least not the way we understand fair. To see things another way, we must step back a few paces (most things look different from farther away). From a distance, you might see yourself living a period of years here, from birth until the time your mortal life is done. You’re one of billions of people on earth, at a given moment. You’re not alone. There will be disappointments in this life for all of us. That is part of the human experience. It’s how we grow. Expect that there will be pain. When it comes, rather than asking “Why me?” ask instead, “Why not me?” All of us will experience it, so why should this moment be called unfair when it is my turn to hurt, or yours? Rather than complaining which brings increased suffering, seek for what can be harvested during times of struggle. In the case of the porcupine and apples trees; if there is to be a harvest at all, perhaps more than the apples I will not have from the trees planted in 2016, I may cultivate and harvest patience and determination to continue to press forward with hope as we plant more trees. In every struggle there is opportunity for strength to come. In all cases, I’m certain; When you sow seeds of gratitude, compassion and lovingkindness, you’ll reap peace in time. Be well.