What Does Resilience Have In Common with a Crocus?

This has been a tough Winter in Montana. We are inching our way toward the most snow and cold in 82 years. As I sit in front of the fire and hear the wind howling around the corners of the house, it seems that Spring will never arrive. But it will. We just have to endure the knee deep snow and freezing temperatures a little while longer.

Hidden from view under the drifts of snow, the mountain crocuses are already beginning to find their way up and will be blooming as the snow melts around them. As it turns out, it’s the cold that makes it possible for the bulbs to sprout and the beautiful purple blooms to open.

This is true for resilience, too. It’s frequently the adversity that makes it possible for our resilience to grow and strengthen and show itself. During difficult times it may be hidden from us and we may even wonder if we have any resilience at all. But it’s during these times that it is actually growing stronger. In fact, sometimes it’s the difficult times in our lives that show us how resilient we are.