I like to head out to connect with nature as often as I can, particularly when I have something I'm busy pondering. I find that when I look - really look - the natural world will offer hints to help me in my wondering. Today was no exception.
It was a really windy day today. As I was walking I couldn't help but notice a seagull, suspended in the air, riding the waves of wind. It was so graceful. I thought about how hard it must have been for them to learn to ride the wind like that. Even now, though looking graceful, I could see that the bird was quite focused, responding to every small change, making shifts in response. Sometimes, they were swept up in the wind, only to steadily correct, return to calm focus.
I often talk with folks I am working with, that we sometimes can't help the chaos around us, the systems that traumatize us, the society that marginalizes (that doesn't mean we can't push against these forces, as part of what social workers do, but that is beyond the scope of this post). The key is to try to find our calm focus, to navigate adversity to ride the wind. My hope (and goal) with folks, is that they too, emerge from adversity with new skills, resiliency and maybe a little grace.
Thank you seagull for the reminder.