Friday Ramble - Fragile

This week's word comes to us from Old French, thence from the Latin fragilis or frangere meaning to break. Tucked somewhere in there is the Indo-European bhreg and the Gothic brikan, both meaning to shatter. In modern parlance, the word means easily broken, damaged, delicate, brittle, frail, vulnerable, flimsy, lacking body, strength or substance.

Fragile things are assumed to be anything except robust or bright, and not vibrant by any means, but it isn't necessarily so. Fragile, bright, robust, vibrant and strong are not mutually exclusive, and they abide harmoniously together. Could anything be more fragile and at the same time, more vibrant and brimming than these all-too-brief earthly days?

There is nothing like health issues and big life stuff to make one conscious of how fragile we all, are from our own perfectly imperfect, motley selves right on down to ferns, mosses and pond grasses. I feel fragile, frayed and tattered at times, and there is a fair amount of pain, but it passes, and there are always brighter times ahead. I have a mantra to get me through rough moments: I am stronger than this, and this is making me stronger. 

I am still here and lurching along. There is comfort in knowing that no matter how unpleasant things are at times, I can trounce this thing, and by golly, I am doing just that.  I am fortunate in having a wonderful oncology team, the support of family, colleagues, and dear friends, both near and far.

There is a fine spring rain falling here this morning. As soon as the showers stop, Himself and Beau and I are heading off to replenish our inner directives in the Lanark woods and on the shores of our favorite lake in the highlands. The light is always wonderful out there. Perhaps there will be dragonflies and herons this time around, a loon or two. I still can't go far, but by golly, I go as far as I can, and every step dishes out wonders for eyes and lens.