Today’s reflection comes from Mariah Pepper
I was given an Amaryllis plant for Christmas, and on the packaging it declares in friendly lettering, “just add water!” On the one hand this is totally ridiculous. It’s a plant, not a pancake mix. But on the other hand, it’s true! The amaryllis, like many plants, can stay dormant in the dry darkness for a long time and still be ready to grow as soon as water arrives.
I like plants as metaphors for growth; they synthesize external inputs into their own growth, have a season of growth and a season of rest, and always lean towards the light. And maybe my “just add water” amaryllis is a ready-made metaphor for the feelings of frustration and disappointment swirling around about yet another wave of COVID infections. The dominant emotion in my circles right now seems to be “I don’t want to do it again!” As we pull in our activities, up our masking techniques, and once again divert a ton of energy into trying to keep each other safe, it can feel like we’re just going backwards.
So maybe instead of feeling this outward contraction as a loss, we can feel it as a switch to dormancy. We’re waiting for our metaphorical “just add water” moment. And I would like to trust that it will come, in whatever form metaphorical water happens to take.
Blessings,Mariah