Seeds Planted in Dark Times & Inspiration from J. K. Rowling
Easter has just passed us, and the holiday is often associated with a renewal of spirit and earth as spring comes in and plants begin to bloom. There is certainly celebration this time of year, but I appreciated the sobering notes of a minister I heard speak this past week. He referenced the hard times that we have to go through, literally and metaphorically, in order to come to this time of rejuvenation.
The seeds that blossom so beautifully in the spring are planted in the dark of winter when all may seem bleak and the seed itself but a dead, dull thing.
The seeds of change and life in our own twisted paths are planted when all may seem dark in our lives. I love that. Having been going through a rough time recently, with a divorce and related issues creating great diversity on a daily basis, I found this inspiring, as well as the following excerpt from J. K. Rowling’s commencement speech at Harvard’s 2008 graduation ceremony quite inspiring:
“I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
Like Rowling, I have my daughter. While things may seem bleak, I am alive, and I have my daughter. She cannot, will not, be taken away from me. Every day, if I cannot find the will to fight for myself, I can always find the drive to endure for her. If we cannot find the energy to rise up for ourselves, seek someone, something other than yourself to get out of bed in the morning. I keep a picture of my daughter near me through the day so that I can look on her face when I think I’ve hit my limit. Looking at her face, I seem to tap a well of strength that seems bottomless and strong, and I keep swinging.
Meditation
What do I have this moment?
I am breathing. My daughter is alive and thriving. We are intact physically, even if we stumble emotionally and spiritually through the day.
What do I need by the end of the day?
To get through the day.
What do I want by the end of the day?
A step forward or at least not a step back. It can be a small step, sending a job application out or having paid all the paid the bills on time. I want a few moments of meditative peace to myself so that the next morning might find me mentally and spiritually more healthy for attending to my daughter and to myself. Even if today does result in a step back, I want to recognize that it does not undo my progress. Tomorrow is another opportunity for moving forward again.
Today I plant the seeds for a future where I can grow stronger and new branches as an individual, as a mother, and as a participant in the variety of relationships that I cultivate with wonderful individuals around me.
For Further Reading
If you are interested in reading the transcript or seeing the video of Rowling’s commencement speech, she gives a humorous, serious, heartbreaking, powerful speech about her own personal renewal and the fierceness she had to cling to.
