Friday Ramble - Forbear

On a fine Friday morning, an image of one of my favorite places on this dear little blue planet of ours. Cassie and I walk here among these coves and canyons and hills in all seasons, and there is always something astonishing for us to witness. There are wild yellow orchids under the trees, lilies, trilliums and columbines blooming on the hill in springtime; there are choirs of songbirds in summer and endless groves of fiery maple trees in autumn. Winter has its own windswept incandescent wonders, and we love those just as well, but we have been unable to partake of them this year because the snow is too deep for walking, even on snowshoes.

What can one do at such times when she is unable to traverse the wild splendors of her forest of the heart? She forbears and she remembers all the other magical times spent in such places. She remembers, and she is grateful.

The word forbear comes from the Middle English forberen, thence from the Old English forberan, both meaning to endure or to get through something, and to do so with grace and dignity. When we choose to forbear or to cultivate forbearance, we are exercising tolerance, patience and restraint in adverse circumstances and times of provocation — we are treating our companions on this earthly journey (and ourselves too) with mindfulness, compassion, respect and forgiveness.

Stoic endurance is the order of the day here, or rather, it is the order of the week. We have been gifted with at least forty centimeters of snow in the last few days, and there is at least another fifty centimeters headed our way in the next day or so — that equates to about twenty mind boggling inches of the white stuff, and in March already.

An abundance of forbearance (try uttering that expression quickly) will be required, and I am working on it. I am also assessing my store of tea and holding on to the thought that blizzards are beautiful and great teachers too.