Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Resilience, Part II

Winter is turning to spring. In the Midwest, we have early warming trends which lure us all outside to fling the winter from our bones. The first brave flowers peak from the leaves we left over our gardens.

Then winter returns, blustery, gray, same-old winter. We stand at our kitchen windows and worry about our tulips, daffodils and Siberian iris. How can they survive? Will we have no crocus or grape hyacinth this year?

Then the spring that had so briefly flirted with us bounces back to town--to stay this time--and the garden becomes a riot of happy color. The question is (and it is asked more easily of flowers than people), how much did the late-winter blast have to do with their current blooming? Are they hardier, as people say trauma made them stronger? If true, should we have a more positive attitude toward vicissitude?

We often say traumatic life is a reason to expect less of people (which is terrible thing to do, I believe). We should, instead, continue to have high expectations, given that they have come through and know they can. A better view of trauma might be--if not necessarily an opportunity to be welcomed--a jumping-off place from which to launch a better life; possible because worse has already happened.

The challenges you face today can be creating a better YOU. Choose challenge. Take action.

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