When I envision the month of May, snow is not what I picture in my mind. But on May 23, 2020, we got snow.
I knew it wasn't going to last long, so rather than get annoyed at a weather pattern I have zero control of, I decided to just enjoy the beauty of it, while it lasted. But because the snow was so wet and heavy, my enjoyment was cut short by the need to get out and knock as much as I could from the weighed-down limbs of several trees in my yard. Let me just say that I wasn't expecting that first drop of wet, slushy snow that hit me on the head!
A few days later, after the weather decided to normalize again, and the snow melted away, my wife and I were talking about the lessons to be learned from this uncommon event. The one that stood out to us both was the idea of always being prepared.
Consider this. In the fall, most trees shed their leaves, which prepares them to take on the weight of the snow as it builds up on their branches. But in this recent freak storm, the trees had only recently grown new leaves for the summer months, and were simply unprepared to handle the added weight of the snow.
My trees were lucky, and didn't succumb to the added weight, but some of my neighbors had trees that didn't fare so well, cracking and splitting under the unplanned strain.
In contrast, we've recently witnessed some unprecedented times in our world, with the onset of the global pandemic, and the new challenges its created for many. Fear, worry, and doubt are just a few of the emotions that many have felt over these past weeks.
- Fear of not having enough toilet paper of all things.
- Worry about losing income needed to pay bills coming due.
- Doubts about what the future holds.
Another observation my wife shared with me as we discussed the trees in the snow, was the fact that the pine trees seemed unbothered by the extra weight. Unlike trees with leaves, the pine trees don't shed all of their needles each fall to prepare for winter. They are always prepared...year round.
What are you doing to prepare for challenges in your home and business? It's a good question to ask yourself, but more importantly, to take action on, and I would encourage each of us to look for ways to better prepare for both current and future challenges so that we won't be caught off gaurd like summer trees in a snow storm.
I'm new to ActiveRain, but I look forward to getting acquainted with, and learning from each of you.
Thanks for taking a minute to read!
Comments(33)