Strong Enough to Bend

"There's a tree out in the back yard that never has been broken by the wind.  And the reason it's still standing is it's strong enough to bend."  This is the line from a song by, Tanya Tucker.  I love this song because it is such a good message for me.  Sometimes we think that if we are strong we cannot bend or if we bend we are not truly strong.  There have been many times in my life that my strength really became visible when I was able to bend rather than be strict and stand my ground.  The whole idea of being flexible and able to move back and forth is a symbol of strength.

I have realized in my life that there were times when I felt like I was weak but I withstood challenges of which I am proud.  With that strength there is the flexibility to change when I come upon a better way to do something.  There is also the ability to change my mind when things don't go right or I just feel the need to do things differently.  We used to have a willow tree in our yard with long swaying branches.  When the winds came the branches would sway back and forth in the wind but they usually didn't break.   There was a beauty and harmony about the way the branches moved with the wind rather than trying to stand against it. 

This is really a metaphor for my life.  I try to move with things rather than resist them.  I have found that what I resist persists and if I am willing to go with the flow things turn out much better.  So my intent today is to go with the flow and enjoy the back and forth in my life.  I know I may not be perfect at the flow but I do believe it is the best way so that is the direction I will put all my energy toward.