Daily Cascade

Keeping to the Light

Prompt:
"Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light," said Theodore Roethke.
What do you think he meant and can this keeping the light in roots apply to human beings?

-----

I think Roethke must have meant that rightness and light-giving elements exist at the core of all life. When plants are in soil, they have to deal with the wind, rain, darkness, etc. Still they hold the energy and memory of the sunlight inside them.

Applied to us people, this idea points to inner goodness, hope, and resilience. Even when life becomes difficult, when we experience disappointment, loss, or hardship, there is often a quiet place within us that still remembers kindness, joy, and love. I believe in us greatly from this point of view. I believe we all carry inside ourselves the ability to stay strong and bloom again. If this weren't so, how could we heal, forgive, and grow?

Nothing is perfect in life. Nothing is guaranteed. There is no perfect condition. Yet, we are resilient and we find ways to heal and rise again. This is similar to plants and flowers pushing upward through the soil toward the sun. We push upward, too, because we have faith, courage, creativity, a sense of purpose and above all, resilience.

Our earlier experiences must have something to do with our resilience, also. Our experiences of love and guidance from others such as family or teachers and moments of beauty, all help us greatly. These are in addition to the talents, kindness, and wisdom we might have been born with and what we have encouraged within ourselves...no matter what life has thrown our way!

After all, I believe in us, in our resilience, and in the hopeful message this quote is now offering us.


.