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I don’t know about you, but patience has never been one of my virtues. If anything, being impatient is a trait I have been able to use and harness to my advantage from time to time.

So, being stuck at home not able to gather socially, go where you want to when you want to, or just be in the world as you would like, can be rather crazy making to say the least.

The past week and a half I’ve grown quite curious as I’ve watched a succulent plant I purchased at the end of April grow in a peculiar way. When I bought this from our local grocery store I assumed it was like any other succulent I had had. Of all the succulent plants I’ve owned I have never seen one sprout a tendril apart from its own spiky leaves. So, this long trendil that appeared to be preparing to bloom into something, became a source of speculation for me this past week and a half.

What would it become? Why was it doing this? Was it even a healthy sign? Had my not-so-green thumb mutated the plant to become a weird version of itself that the plant couldn’t even recognize?!

Anyways, you get the point. The list of questions I had went on. Only time could tell what this plant would become!

Lately, I’ve been feeling as if we are all thinking thoughts similar to what I pondered about this plant, essentially asking the same questions about this strange period of time we all find ourselves in and what life will look like after all of this.

What will become of our way of life? Will school, work, life ever be the same? What does ‘normal’ even mean anymore? Will we even recognize our old ‘normal’ after all of this? Was ‘normal’ even working for all of us to begin with?

With all these questions, and stressors of daily life in addition to the uncertainties right now, it can be difficult to find balance. Some days I do find my thoughts about the future and our current predicament drifting from fantastical to morbid in less than a few minutes. Some days do really just feel like everything is spinning out of control. That sense of powerlessness is exhausting and can feel debilitating at times.

Let’s just face it:  some days (or months!) are just tough

This week I recently re-discovered a podcast called “The Hilarious World of Depression” hosted by public radio host John Moe. I find in times of stress, it can be so helpful to get out of your own head and be reminded that you are not alone, and to laugh a bit after hearing someone else do the same in discussing their troubles.

I’m not sure if it’s just me (which it totally could be) but I have really been loving historical time period novels or TV shows. Right now, I’ve been re-watching the beloved BBC series ‘Downton Abbey’ and even though the characters are fictionalized, the events that happened during the early 20^th century (i.e. sinking of the titanic, WWI, collapse of the social strata) are not. I’ve been finding re-watching this series right now to be strangely comforting, being reminded that we have lived through great tragedies and somehow made a way through to the other side is just a remarkable reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. And, even in a time where we may feel more disconnected than ever, it is totally and utterly possible that we will be more connected globally and as a society on the other side.

It is, of course, up to us.

I stumbled upon some poetry readings by Wendell Berry on the podcast “On Being” website’s page. Just listening to the sound of someone reading for a few minutes was for me as meditative and soothing as any bath or long walk outside. Take a minute or two to enjoy it!

“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry

Now, back to that succulent! After several days of sitting around waiting and waiting to see what would become of my succulent plant I was delighted one morning to wake up and see two little white flowers had appeared.

With the help of the iNaturalist website/app, I was able to identify the type of succulent as a hawthorias, more commonly known as a “Zebra” succulent native to South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. They tend to resemble aloe plants, but have a distinct difference in the small white flowers that bloom from the stem.

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I am reminded by these small, unassuming flowers, that life can be found anywhere. And, with a bit of patience (and maybe some gentle reminders from those we love) we can find ourselves pleasantly surprised by the new world and life around us.

Take care, and be patient, friends!