Mountain flowers

^{Cirque Peak, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Photo: Ruth Arless-Frandsen}

Life is fragile.

The moment we are experiencing right now will change by the time I finish writing this sentence.

This is not to say that we are fragile. In fact, we have to be like those flowers that grow amid the rocks on the tops of mountains, in order to withstand the fragility and unpredictability of our environment.

It seems that the past few years have been a time for testing just how deep my roots are planted in that rock face.

I am a little weathered; I may have lost a few leaves and my petals might be a little faded, but I’m still standing.  Elton is signing my anthem.

I recently posted that my latest blog post was delayed by a few weeks due to “unforeseen events”. These events involved me waking up at 3 am a few weeks ago to see I had 5 missed calls from one of my children. Needless to say, 5 missed calls in the middle of the night from your child is not a good sign.

In these moments, life kind of stands still while you turn on your axel….and then your life has changed.

“Mom, I am at the emergency with Olivia…”

Let me begin by assuring everyone that we are all OK now.

We are all fine, but different.

My very resilient fille des bois[1] managed to survive 17 days on the Appalachian trail, only to be taken out by a sidewalk on the West Island. The physical trauma was substantial, but that was just the beginning.

The moment, the life that existed before this event was no longer, and sent us all spinning on our axels, while trying to find a way to slow the spin and recalibrate.

I am grateful that I was around to help out during the recovery. I am grateful that Olivia seems to have no permanent negative effects. I am grateful for the love and support we received from friends, family and even strangers. I am grateful to have this forum to share my journey.

But most of all, I am grateful for the pause it gave me to reflect on my priorities.

Because the change could have been very different and the spin might have kept going for a very long time.

We all falter at times.

Obstacles can make us stumble.

And sometimes we fall on our faces.

But it’s not about the fall.

It’s about how we get back up and what we do once we’re are back on our feet.

Just like those mountain flowers, who’s beauty stems ultimately from their existence in such a hostile environment, the grit and grace displayed in these moments of change are indicative of our capacity to adapt and flourish. Even in the face of adversity.  

The allure resides in the resiliency.

Whatever life throws our way, however great the fall from grace, there is always a way to get back up. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.

Before we know it, we’re standing again, with new roots, turning to face the sun.

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[1] Check out my Les filles des bois post from July 28^th 2022 to understand more about the resiliency and lessons learned by these amazing girls! https://wordpress.com/post/gritgrace.blog/739