Fragile Nature

An unusual winter and spring:  atmospheric rivers, arctic blasts and bomb cyclones, mega tornadoes... and now over 2 feet of rain in southern Florida in a 24-hour period!  These were on my mind as I walked around my neighborhood this past week -- wrapped up to stay warm against the colder-than-usual winds that have swept across southern California.

But then I came across plants blooming, inviting me to anticipate Spring and coaxing me out of my wintry thoughts.

Isn't it wonderful how nature can open us to beauty, simplicity, and wonder -- when we pay attention! 

Do you bloom where you are planted?
(Photo: Spring Freesia - Larry Gardepie)

There are so many troubles and divisions these days, storms that buffet us and rob us of societal securities.  Our fragile natures surface as we argue over ideologies and beliefs -- as we worry about the future.

Nature, though, has different lessons for us:

• Bloom where you are planted.
• Reveal the beauty of who you are.
• Stand tall and believe in your goodness.

I know life is more complicated than this... or is it?  Maybe I have made it more complex than it needs to be.

What beauty do you bring to this world?
(Photo:  Purple Iceplant - Larry Gardepie)

As I walk through my neighborhood bundled up against the winds that buffet me, my eyes see color and beauty that I might not feel; my ears hear bird songs that open me to listen; and the air is fresh after the last rainfall.

 

Our world is opening to new life... and so can I!

When do you stand above the worries
and troubles of today?
(Photo:  Tower of Jewels - Larry Gardepie)

Having difficult conversations may have caused us to hibernate against wintry relationships.  Our frailty may have caused us to protect and defend.  Our vulnerability may have betrayed what we think and feel.

 

But Nature -- like dialogue -- suggests something different: that our vulnerability is our strength; that life returns even after the worst storms; that beauty exists even in the worst situations.  Our invitation is to open up, discover, and value the beauty within the other person.  It is there -- if we pay attention!

May our fragile human nature open us to the possibility of beauty and wonder -- in ourselves and in others.

 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)

 

Life is Fragile: Dialogue is Fragile

What do the following have in common:  a recent ER visit with an overnight hospital observation; the death of a friend's brother; current Supreme Court deliberations; and this contagion of mass shootings?  Life, death, the unpredictability of each moment, the tenuous and fragile nature of our world... and beauty, dignity, and grace!

These themes also came to mind when I walked along the rim of the Grand Canyon and beside the Colorado River in Glen Canyon:  the tenacity of desert plants blooming in adverse conditions; life risking to reveal itself before inevitable death claims it; and the balance between what is known and unknown.  Life, death, the unpredictability of each moment, the tenuous and fragile nature of our world... and beauty, dignity, and grace!

Where do you see life?
(Photo:  Native Flower, Grand Canyon,
May 2022, Larry Gardepie)

Our lives are fragile vessels of hope, dreams, and inspiration as we encounter moments of despair, unfulfilled promises, and discouragement.  What is interesting is our ability to bounce back, find meaning, and move forward.

It's as if life chooses to overcome death at every turn: our fragile natures ache to survive!

Is your focus on this moment?
(Photo:  Native Flower, Glen Canyon
May 2022, Larry Gardepie)

Dialogue is similar:  each moment is fragile.  It cannot be taken for granted.  It requires a choice... an invitation to be in relationship with each person we encounter.  Where is this choice to dialogue fragile?  When we refuse an invitation to be in relationship with people, ideas, and interpretations that we don't understand or agree with.  Our ability to see beauty, dignity, and grace in each person provides the foundation to grow even in adverse conditions.

This is not an invitation to hurt oneself or to go into an abusive or hate-filled relationship.  Dialogue is a challenge... to consider... to notice... to be open to other possibilities.  Maybe our first step is to consider:  life or death; predictability or not; tenuous questions or potential.  Is there an opening to dialogue?

Are you ready to soar?
(Photo, Blue Heron, Glen Canyon, May 2022
Larry Gardepie)

Rafting down Glen Canyon we came across wildlife that continue to dwell in the shadows of these magnificent walls.  Stopping along our route, we encountered petroglyphs of Ancestral Puebloan peoples telling their stories of hunting and gathering, stories of being in community.  Thousands of years later we continue to tell our tales... of sickness and healing, life and death, decisions and changes in thinking.

Maybe the challenge for our time is to balance this moment with a longer view:  to accept our past with today, and to see today as a marker of our future together.  Maybe we can only soar when we have unburdened ourselves of past hurts, sorrows, and misunderstandings.  Maybe we are invited to bloom where we are planted by communicating stories that uplift and inspire... stories that consider a new possibility.

 

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)