This is the lesson I learned from a 68-year-old Viking woman this week.
I’m in Gottenberg, Sweden visiting my cousin, Heleaukalani. He and his family have a summer house there. We walked out to the beach and the ocean is incredible.
They have a little archipelago of islands. The water is freezing, icy cold, and they dared us to jump in. It took a while for the family to take the plunge, but when we did it felt amazing. Breathtaking!
As we got out of the water and in a rush to get our clothes back on, I saw a woman come to the water’s edge. She must have been in her late 60s.
She looked so vibrant and full of life. She was doing her own self coaching saying, “Okay, I’m going to get in. I’m going to do it. I’m going to get in the water. But it looks so cold”
She was talking out loud in preparation for the icy plunge. Standing on the dock. And then, she looked over to the rocks and said to me, “Look at that little flower over there.”
I looked over, and there was one lone flower growing out of of these massive rocks.
She said, “Do you know what that means? Look at that.”
“Oh, it must mean that summer is here,” I replied.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s what it means as well. But look how that one flower can grow out of the rock without any dirt or anything.
That brave woman made an impact on me that day. The lovely woman, did eventually jump into the icy cold water with the words, “I can do this. I am Viking!!!!!!”
I loved to see her get this empowerment from her Viking roots. Hardy people.
Life is so strong. That happy daisy reminded me of one of our plants in Hawaii, the ohi’a lehua.
This plant is the first plant to grow out of pure lava rock, just out of the rock. The lehua reaches its roots deep, deep, deep, deep beneath the lava.
The lava is so thick and hard that it’s really difficult for life to grow, because the lava traps all of the nutrients. Hardly anything can penetrate, but the lehua has found a way. Its roots find their way down to the subterranean aquifers.
As the water drips through the lava, it captures the minerals as it makes its pathway through the tiniest cracks. The Lehua roots suck up all of these nutrients from the water as it passes by, and that’s how it’s able to survive.
Just like the lehua, life is strong. No matter what happens, we find a way. We are supported in miraculous ways. The body wants to heal. The plants want to survive.
As you go through your life with whatever may challenges you are faced with. I encourage you to think of the happy daisy and the hearty lehua.
For clients or loved ones, see them as Well. Strong. Full of life and Vibrant. No matter what diagnosis or prognosis. No matter how long it has been there.
…and remember to do the same for yourselves. Because all life works to survive to it’s fullest. LIVE STRONG!!!
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12 thoughts on “Life is Strong”
Such a beautiful story. My husband is Norwegian. I loved when the women says “I am a Viking” before she jumped in. LOL! That was her call as a reminder to be strong. Isn’t it wonderful how we can all draw from our inner strengths and heritage to tackle things which are difficult. I love your BLOG. Love to hear you “Talk Story” and feel your spirit. :0)
Mahalo nui loa for sharing this inspiring and amazing experience. I am living on Oahu now so I haven’t been able to come in for treatments this past year. I really miss you guys! Hugs & aloha!
Donna, we look forward to welcoming you back to Ho’omana again very soon
Great post and very inspirational. I really enjoyed the story about the lehua. What a strong and willful plant. Nature is always surprising me!
Nature never ceases to Amaze!!
Thank you so much for this reminder. I am going to share it.
Thank you! Exactly what I needed to hear this morning. It’s been a tough week and this has been inspirational.
Beautifully told! Mahalo for sharing?
Thank you for this reminder that no matter what the obstacles, the spirit within us emerges. Mahalo.
Wow, that’s incredible. The flower! and taking a plunge into the icy water!
This hit home today as I was at the river in Boulder Creek, CA. Where – at the time- only waist deep- the water seemed so cold but now after reading this I feel like I should go back and just jump in!
Thank you for the reminder that life is strong!
This blessing and offering arrived miraculously in perfect and divine timing! I thank you so so much for this sharing!! LOVE ALWAYS,
This makes me smile! So many times, we have planted trees or flowers, only to notice that some growing out of a crack in rock or even a cement walkway seem to thrive even more than those that we nourish, prepare for and carefully tend. Life on its own terms is the most persistent and beautiful life of all!
And to follow that, I must share one of my favorite quotes: “Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”
–Henry David Thoreau