100 Paths

This morning, I was walking in our neighbourhood biodiversity park with my mother-in-law. It’s a partially man-made forest close to my house, and we go there daily. We have fallen into an interesting rhythm, she and I. So we have long moments of banter and then long silences when we dwell on our surroundings and get lost in our own thoughts. She’s a former scientist and zoology professor, and she loves observing the flora and fauna. I too love talking to trees, and relish those moments of silence when I can really connect with Mother Nature.

Today, we talked about how parts of the path had trees and shade, and other parts had no cover. My mother-in-law doesn’t like direct exposure to the sun, so when it became too sunny to handle, I comforted her saying, “There will be shade soon.” Then we were silent, as part of our usual pattern.

I noticed how the temperature dropped the moment we got to the shaded path. I noticed new leaves on some of the trees, white flowers on the tops of others. I noticed my mood getting better without the unforgiving sun beating down on me. I noticed a hundred other things, big and small. Then the shade cleared; we were in the sunlight again for another stretch.

Realisation dawned on me: “There will be shade soon.”

There are good times, and bad. But nothing lasts forever. If you are going through tough circumstances with the metaphorical sun burning you, remember and take heart: there will be shade soon.

And if you’re in the shade for now and life is going well, remember and be prepared: there will be trials and tribulations at some point. Use the relative calm to arm yourself with wisdom, courage and a network of real friends so that you can face any situation in future.

That’s how life is: light and shade, light and shade. You cannot predict what will happen next but you CAN control how you deal with it. Wear sunscreen.