Floating on the Breeze

I jerked my head back slightly to avoid…  what?  A piece of dandelion fluff?  I laughed at myself, and smiled as I watched it float away.  It startled me because I had been deep in thought about the root chakra while walking my dog.  Suddenly I was there—in the moment—feet stopped—thoughts stopped by a delicate bit of dandelion an inch from my nose.  And, like the dandelion seed, my thoughts were taken in a new direction.

Strong roots are important.  They ground us, give us a sense of stability, security.  We can grow and bloom when our roots are deep and healthy.  But even the most stubborn dandelion, at some point, finds itself floating on the breeze.  Sometimes it’s at the hands of a small child who comes along, rips the dandelion from the ground, makes a wish, and blows with all her might.  Other times, there is a mighty gust of wind that scatters all its seeds. And still other times, when the dandelion is barely hanging on, just the gentlest breeze will carry the fluff away.

How many of us, like stubborn dandelions, don’t want to let go?  We want to stay put, stay where we’ve rooted ourselves, stay in familiar surroundings.  It’s our challenge then—when someone rips us apart, when a hurricane blows through, or when a lovely zephyr comes along—to go where the wind takes us.  

Some of us twist and writhe and resist by all means.  No, no, no, this can’t be happening!  I won’t let it!  Some of us cower in fear.  What’s going to happen?  I need to know.  Some of us complain the whole time.  Why is this happening to me? This isn’t fair!  Some of us play the victim.  This always happens to me!  It’s my lot in life.  Some of us may grin and bear it.  Shit happens.  I’ll be fine.  While some of us try to accept it.  This was meant to happen.  There’s nothing I can do about it.  And few of us embrace it.  Wow, this is really happening.  Let’s do this!

Is there another way?  Can we be more like dandelion fluff floating on the breeze?  What if we stopped our incessant efforts to control what is clearly out of our control?  We didn’t choose to be blown away, nor can we choose where we are going or how fast we get there.  In this case, we aren’t like a pilot or a bird—we cannot direct this flight. So, the challenge is can we be like a dandelion seed and just float?  Say, This is.  Let the wind take us.  Look around with curiosity.  Really feel the breeze carrying us.  And when we land, start exactly where we are.  Chances are, we will find a way to root, grow, and bloom again.  Dandelions are pretty darn resilient, after all.