The Seed Within...

     Outwardly, the earth appears to be dead. The leaves have fallen from the trees long ago; many of the birds have flown south, not able to live in the cold, stark weather of Canada’s winter. Snow and wind combine to form drifts that sometimes make it difficult for us to navigate our way. It's not always easy to grab hold of hope when the world around us seems so cold and inhospitable.

    But though the air is cold and the earth has been covered in snow for much too long, it seems, something IS happening below the surface. The winter water nourishes the seed within the earth and though to our naked eye, nothing is happening, in reality, the earth is taking small steps to prepare the way for the blossoming of new life in the Spring.

     We can gather to us the lesson nature lives out: regeneration and new life, despite our loss, are possible. The movement of the seasons in our outer world reminds us that grief, too, is cyclic. The feelings of loss and devastation around losing our children will ease as we grow through the pain and at some point, we will be able to smile again. And though the wheel may turn and the pain of grief return, we have come to know that there will still be moments of joy and friendship that grow out of sharing our loss together.

     There is a darkness that is deep, warm and healing. The long night can slowly yield to day, if together we allow the process of healing to take place within our hearts.