I don’t know whether it’s the sound of the birds chirping, the scent of my daphne blooming, or the warmth of the sun streaming through my windows, but it feels like we’re settling into our new stride. Some refer to this as the “next normal” and I like that term. It suggests movement, not stasis, and that whatever new routines we adopt and whatever new expectations we come to hold we should be prepared to give up again. And as I think about this, I think about the lessons that we should be teaching our children about being receptive to change, about being adaptable, and about being ready to let go of even those things we hold dear.
I am reminded that those trees that can withstand heavy winds aren’t the biggest or the strongest, but the ones that can give way. And that is what these times are calling on all of us to do–bend. And when this storm passes, and it will, we’ll stand up straight again and adjust to the next normal after that.