What Lies Beneath

Nothing has brought home the significance of my move back to country life more   than the weather. Between the record-breaking cold and the endless snowfall of this past winter, followed by so much spring and summer rain that we are constantly on flood watch, it has been quite a homecoming. Couple that with finally having a real garden again only to have my hands tied every few days by all this rain, and it is no wonder that when I have a moisture-free day, I waste no time in pulling on the gloves and going out to pull the weeds that are the only things enjoying this weather!

Outside where the blacktop of the driveway meets the cement of the entrance to my place, a wide crack has opened up due to the intense cold we had this winter and the massive amounts of snow and ice that kept dripping off the overhang above the doorway. While we wait for suitable weather for that to be repaired, a mass of green sprang up in that crack until it took on a life of its own. From beneath the concrete, blacktop and stone came clover, dandelions, grass, and a vast array of wild-growing things I didn’t even recognize. I have to admit that I admired the tenacity of Mother Earth and her plant children to plug away under that concrete patiently waiting for the opening they needed to push through. Alas, they eventually grew big enough that I was stepping over them carrying the groceries in, which meant that they would have to go before I or someone else got a sandal caught in them and took a tumble. So I waited for a dry morning and went out to perform the sad deed. What I found when I pulled up the plants by their roots was a whole other world. Worms, beetles, bugs of all shapes, sizes and colors started to scatter, some moving up and out in search of greener pastures and some digging deeper into the sodden soil. You just never know what lies beneath until you pull the weeds out of the way to get a better look.

The same is true of our lives. Sometimes the storms of simply living leave a lasting impression, and around and in that impression it’s easy to let limiting beliefs and untruths take root. If we’re not careful, they will grow so big that they trip us up and make our path difficult to travel. However, if we take the time to clear out those limiting beliefs and look at what lies beneath, we will be amazed at what we find: new ideas, new perceptions, new experiences, and a whole new appreciation for life. Even if we have experienced what feels like an endless winter of pain and heartache, if we dig deep enough, there is always a new life waiting for us to come out of the hole and set out on a new path.

I have to admit that I will almost miss that crack in the pavement when it is finally filled in. Every day when I go outside I look down to see which of my little crawling neighbors is at home and bid them good morning. I know, though, that even when I can no longer see them, they will still be there, patiently waiting for their next opportunity to burst through and thrive.

And so it is.