Trust Takes Years to Build, Seconds to Break, and Forever to Repair ~ Anonymous.
This morning’s walk offered yet another life lesson. As I looked to the sky to admire the colorful morning rise, I noticed a grounds keeper on his cart with a large duck wrapped under his arm. I wondered if the duck was dead, injured or worse yet, soon to be breakfast for his family. I watched him stop at the edge of the pond and untuck the duck. He whispered a few words and placed her at the waters’ edge. The duck swam away like a good little child. I ran over to the grounds keeper as he started to drive off. Hey, “why didn’t the duck bite you, or flap his wings to get away?” Why was the duck so docile in your arms? He smiled a toothy grin and said, “the ducks are my friends, I feed always them. This one wandered away, but she trusts me and let me pick her up, so I returned her to the pond.”
The Cambridge dictionary’s definition of trust is to believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you, or that something is safe and reliable. I was still contemplating my morning encounter later that evening while dining with a group of friends. I asked my friends a question about trust. The answers were that trust is sacred…it means everything… without it you are lost, came the answers in unison! Just like the grounds keeper and the duck, Mother Nature nurtures, feeds and provides for us on our life’s journey. When we veer from the path, and wander in different directions, it can be liberating, but too far in the field can get us permanently separated from our tribe. Too far on an unfamiliar road can expose us to life-threatening risks. We must trust universal wisdom to guide us safely on our journey. We must trust in relationship and love with transparency and vulnerability. Rumi says whatever lifts the corners of your mouth, trust that.
As we explore with curiosity, let us remember to trust in the process and not bite the hand that feeds us.
Enjoy Your Day,
Dr. Kim