As you might recall, my theme-in-a-word this year is encouragement. Little did I know how much I would need it throughout my hospital adventure and all of its rippling effects on my life! Without a doubt, I can report that encouragement works. Indeed, encouragement, as I discovered in my January etymology research, enables both courage and strength, especially when navigating through uncertainty.

Just last week, I was lamenting to a friend my quandary about canceling plans because my body, once again, was misbehaving. I told her I felt “like a wimp.”

“With all you’ve been through,” she responded, “‘wimp’ has no place in the realm of wise choices. Whatever your body tells you is what will keep you at your best.”

Relieved, I thanked her and added, “For the record, sometimes I hate being so wise. I miss being a risk-taker — and succeeding.”

Then she “nailed me to my pew,” (as my pastor father would often say) with her insightful reply. “BTW risk-taking has its seasons. It’s ok to be in the season of wisdom now.”

Wow.

The season of wisdom. I’m not sure how I feel about that promotion. What does it mean? Will I always be limited? Will I ever take a risk again?

Then I recalled the words of philosopher and writer, Mark Nepo. In his meditation, To Rest Like a Tree, he begins with a quote from Buddha’s Little Instruction Book:

Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a great tree in the midst of them all.

Nepo admits that he, like most of us, would rather not experience the “undercurrents of life.” However, the challenge, he contends, “is not to shun them, but to accept that over a lifetime we will have our share of them.”

Then he concludes:

The storm by its nature wants to move on, and the tree’s grace is that it has no hands. – Mark Nepo

Wow, again!

Maybe our challenge is not to hold on to the storm, but to let it move through us, like the graceful tree. Then maybe wisdom is less about “giving in” to the limitations and more about “accepting for now” the choices that are in our best interests.

Meanwhile, if we’re lucky, perhaps those storms will make us even stronger, as pastor and author Peter Marshall so eloquently suggests:

When we long for a life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. – Peter Marshall

Powerful, right? Who knew trees has so much to teach us about life!

Thanks again, for all your encouraging words and expressions of support. As you can see, they matter!

And on we go…

P.S. Grateful for your support of Madison in our Pathfinders Run Wild for Autism event. Today’s the last day to honor her using this LINK.

P.P.S. Happy Halloween! Here’s a throwback tribute from a few years ago to my cat, Inky, on “her” day. Miss you, Inky!