One of the miracles of nature is that evolution is constantly in motion. Life stubbornly carries on despite war and planetary disruption, and reminds us again and again that nature continues to function. It is always solving problems, running on sunlight, fitting form to function, recycling everything—relentlessly "creating conditions conducive to life."¹
Even if the earth is ravaged, its first response is with weeds and seeds that cover the ground. These are the scars of nature. They can remain for weeks or decades as a stopgap remedy to keep nourishment in and contaminants out. The weeds and seeds are remnants of the living and the dead, to protect the earth as it regenerates. They fly with the wind or settle into the ground, carrying the memory of what used to be.² Nature holds a relentless energy to move, acclimate, and change with this memory. It is the healing miracle of life.
This is the story of the world, and perhaps it is your story as well.
Let us consider this metaphor in the process of recovery. Your healing journey is an evolving process. It is certainly not linear, nor particularly neat or tidy. There are often stops and starts, expansions and contractions. There are still scars left from trauma that were protections learned through the generations, or from what you have experienced in this life. They may act as defenses and perhaps self sabotaging behaviors that developed inside when there seemed to be no other available survival strategy. These scars were not meant to last. But they still resurface, especially when you are exhausted, destabilized by events, or just triggered.
As a survivor, it may seem that you are learning too slowly in your recovery. But despite how long it seems to take, and whether you realize it or not, you continue to grow. In this evolution of yours, you are coexisting with everything that is also in this relentless process of change.³ The process of healing can take generations, OR it can happen in your own lifetime.
Recovery: a journey of grief, resolve, courage—and freedom. We all need to grieve the losses, violations, and regrets we have lived with. But we can also discover ways to move ahead with the possibility of living with meaning and joy. Good therapy and authentic, healthy community move the needle. But, we can't do it in a vacuum.
You can discover new communities and ways to pollinate and grow. It may surprise you how you could create a path that truly fits for you, one you may not have chosen at first, or even considered possible.
You are here to re-member who you really are.
Do not choose the lesser life. Choose the life that is yours.⁴
¹Benyus, J.M. (2024, June 6). Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature. HarperCollins Publishers.
²Tippett, K. (2022). Janine Benyus and Azita Ardakani Walton: On nature’s wisdom for humanity. [Audio podcast episode]. The On Being Project.
https://onbeing.org/programs/janine-benyus-and-azita-ardakani-walton-on-natures-wisdom-for-humanity/
³Ibid.
⁴Waheed, N. (2024). Nejma. CreateSpace Publishing.