July 12, 2020: The Gift of Unexpected Encounters
Yesterday, here in northern Maine, it was a gray, cool day with intermittent showers that left the woods around us with a quiet shimmer. In between the bouts of rain, we headed out to see what was “blooming and being”. Our initial destination was to return and see the flowering of a (new to us) wildflower which had begun to blossom the day before.
As always, when we head out on our daily walks to explore the natural world that surrounds us, we have learned to expect the unexpected. We’re never exactly sure what we’ll find. We know from experience what might potentially be blooming or singing in the branches above us, but there are no guarantees.
Life takes us to unexpected places sometimes. The future is never set in stone, remember that.
— Erin Morgenstern
Meandering down the road, our eyes and ears become tuned to the present moment. The chaos, constant chatter and worries of the modern world fade away as the chorus of the natural world softy sings a different song……one of the unshakeable faith how life goes on despite unexpected challenges.
We find in the surrounding landscapes, daily lessons which remind us of the benefits of learning how to expect and embrace the unexpected. Instead of dreading or fearing the unknown, it’s opening our hearts and minds to the gifts and small wonders life bestows upon us.
We witness in awe how living things adapt to change. A tree wraps its roots around a large boulder to reach the essential nutrients in the soil. In protection from predators, a tiny spider hides in the blossoms of a flower. A newly hatched seagull chick can’t fly, but swims with determination to return to its nest. Within weeks, the chick will develop the feathers and skills it needs to join its parents soaring in the sky. The cycles of life continually play out around us, vividly illustrating the continuity of change.
While the conflicts that play out on our world stage still exist, the disturbing onslaught of blasting and dismaying headlines can be put into perspective. We don’t know the outcome, but can find peace and solace in the understanding that like anything in life these times will pass.
Like the tiny tree that establishes its roots in the crack of a boulder, we can seek what we need to stay secure, strong and healthy. We can choose to focus on what is beautiful in our life, and we can learn to anticipate the unexpected, as potential gifts in disguise.
As always, we we thank you for reading this blog and welcome any thoughts, ideas or quotes you’re willing to share. Here are a few more inspirational quotes I have found to be meaningful.
Embrace the unpredictable and unexpected. It is the path to the infinitely creative in you.
— Deepak Chopra
Sometimes the things you’ve lost can be found again in unexpected places.
–Daniel Handler
We live in a world which in some respects is mysterious; things can be experienced which remain inexplicable; not everything which happens can be anticipated. The unexpected and the incredible belong in this world. Only then is life whole. For me the world has from the beginning been infinite and ungraspable.
–Carl Jung
There are almost unlimited possibilities for making discoveries and to uncover the unknown. It is in the nature of the discovery that it can not be planned or programmed. On the contrary it consists of surprises and appears many times in the most unexpected places.
— Bengt I. Saamuelsson
Truly nothing is to be expected except for the unexpected.
–Alice James
Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me.
Carl Sandburg
You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.
Hedy LPaulo Coelho amarr