Wild
Soul
“Like
a wild animal, the soul is tough, resilient, resourceful, savvy, and
self-sufficient: it knows how to survive in hard places.”
Parker
J. Palmer (A Hidden Wholeness)
Home
again, and playing all the memory tapes of my visit to Nashville. My
niece is a little bit of a wonder to me; I don't know how she is as
whole as she is. She was eighteen months old when her mother was
diagnosed with a brain tumor and what proceeded from that time was
twenty years of surgeries and radiation and more surgeries and
progressive decline. Her father was a builder of large, lavish homes,
who went bankrupt due to the constant medical bills and the cost of
caring for his disabled wife. By the time Katie was 22, both her
parents were gone. And now, here she is with a baby of her own and a
husband who adores her. She is a regional manager for a large hospice
program that has offices in four Southern states. It's a miracle to
me, somehow, that she not only survived, but thrives.
The
soul is a resilient thing, indeed. We need to keep that clearly in
mind when we are navigating life's narrow passages. On the nightly
news, I watch the people of Syria fleeing through the rubble, ducking
into alleyways to escape the carnage and devastation around them, and
the very next day, scenes of their children playing stick ball in a
refugee camp. My friend, Annette, is in Haiti at the moment and
posting pictures on her Facebook page of smiling children whose homes
are made from shipping containers; the best homes they've ever known.
They are like children everywhere; smiling, playing, delighted with
whatever comes their way. Strong souls everywhere.
If
your own life is in turmoil at the moment, remember that deep within
you lies a power that is far greater than your frail human body would
have you believe. Grab hold of it and allow its wild animal strength
to carry you. It will never let you down.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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