99. Winds Of Resistance
Seven years ago we planted a young maple tree in our front garden. It was skinny and frail so we supported it with stakes and rope thinking it wouldn’t be able to resist the winter and spring winds otherwise. But a wise gardener friend told us to remove the stakes so the tree could stand on its own. She said having to resist and sway with the winds stimulates growth! The tree would thicken in girth and become more hardy and resilient.
Seven years later there is a robust and beautiful Silver Plume Maple growing in our front garden!
It is the same with us humans! Care doesn’t always translate to coddling! Sometimes making things easier handicaps a young child. We sometimes jump to the rescue prematurely – ameliorating conflict, frustration or contradiction before a young ‘sapling’ has gotten the benefit of struggling with it, working through it.