Anchors and straining cables?

What if… ?

It all depends on ‘what the jet stream does’ says Tomasz Schaf.

What all depends?

Our attitude to what might be…

Our reaction to what might be…

We recently enjoyed a week in the sunshine; cream teas, ice cream, climbing hills, paddling streams, sandy beaches, steam trains, and barbecue evenings…

But then the prospect of inclement weather threw a shadow over proceedings.

A cloudy sky blocking the warmth of the sun, and the expectation and arrival of wind and rain, the weather altered the outlook, it affected the view, it changed the atmosphere… the storms of life…

Having to forsake the things we become accustomed to, the pleasures we come to expect and perhaps take for granted, can seem like an unfair wrench.

Thankfully many of us might never experience serious loss. But many do face major challenges. People parted from family, getting by with minimal income, dealing with serious health issues, having to leave homes behind…  we really cannot comprehend the realities some people face. However, relatively small changes in our lives can still seem challenging. We are creatures of habit and when routine and habits have to change we can experience dis-ease, apprehension, and uncertainty. A hole in the roof… a broken car… challenges at work… aches & pains… small injustices… unexpected bills… offspring growing sideways… rotten luck… the xxxx in the black saloon car… these things matter to us. It may not be life threatening in the scheme of things but on an immediate level they can be unsettling. 

As a boy I was brought up by the sea, and a familiar annual tradition included the singing of this song, often on a harbour side, with men & women from a Cornish community that may well have really known something about real storms of life.

“…when the clouds unfold their wings of strife… When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, will your anchor drift or firm remain?” 

Confucius said ‘The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.” Aesop’s Fable ‘The Oak and the Reed’ says similar.

Yes it’s probably healthy and wise to see the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll, grounded firm and deep in principals that have stood the test of time but it might also be wise to bend with some winds of change. Yes, occasionally we might become ‘shaken by the wind’, but ‘a bruised reed love will not break’.

I am not sure about anchors and straining cables but the idea of shelter in a harbour, the comfort of a refuge, or the sanctuary of a haven seems just as needed in today’s turbulent world.

When the prospect of inclement weather shadows our views or shakes our perspectives, don’t be too concerned about what the jet stream does, but perhaps given a little shelter or refuge our own attitudes and reactions might benefit from a little flexibility, and indeed love.

A digression; I read a fantastic book once called ‘Sunbathing in the rain‘ by Gwyneth Lewis. Worth a read if you feel the need.