The Wind

        "The wind of change blows softly, then blows strongly. The wind cleans, yet stirs up, the wind refreshes, yet can blow with force. 'Batten down the hatches' is an expression of protection when strong winds were known and force could blow a ship off course, perhaps now replaced with different technical warnings. We all have wind in our life that can blow with different strengths, with different purposes, and with different messages. The birds listen. Watch the birds when wind is ready to travel - they know - and they take shelter and wait out the storm. To withstand wind, one must be sheltered or anchored in some way. Too often we leave ourselves wide open and unprotected so that when the wind of change comes in our lives, we get knocked down with its force.

        Some like the wind, some do not. It can make them uneasy or give a feeling of uncertainty. Others like the exhilaration of the force of nature playing about them, that is, until it gets so strong it becomes a tornado. A soft breeze is the child of the wind, it is the soft expression, the wisp, the light touch. It soothes and comforts. The stronger the wind, however, the harder it is to do anything except try to find safety and to survive.

        Winds of change can unsettle us physically and unsettle us mentally and emotionally as well. When change comes unexpectedly, there are few who adjust without some discomfort or some feeling of loss. It is important to be prepared inwardly for change at any time, but it is extra important to be prepared for those sudden, strong winds. These winds of change take away our reference points that we are used to seeing and leave us with no reference point available. It is at those times that we must have a point within, a centering, a haven, a safe place. This is the place where one anchors the spirit.

        Those who are anchored within become the survivors in life. They are the pillars that stand strong, they are not uprooted. It is not always the physically strong who are centered and ready to face a strong wind, it is the individual who can weather the storm by going within. Watch for signs around you, listen to nature and its occupants - they are wise beyond words. Search the skies and listen to the earth's sounds. Tune or balance yourself, build up your strength, make sure there is a waiting haven within where the winds cannot go. Prepare as you would for a tornado, to be strong, to have a quietness within. The winds of change blow hard."