A Fellow Traveller

Over a month ago my husband and I selected white petunias and red geraniums for our front flower beds, quickly planting and watering them to get them off to a good start. A few weeks later, I noticed only a sea of green and white with no red visible at all. Upon further inspection, I saw that every geranium bud had dried up and brown sticks remained that came right out in my hands. That was when the heavy rains started. The surface drops of water were no longer running off or evaporating. Instead, the ground became soaked with rain that went deep to the roots, nourishing and causing fresh buds to grow. This morning I counted two dozen buds on each plant, marveling at the effect of good rains. Soon we will be enjoying beautiful splashes of colour amongst the white. At school, my colleagues and I have felt like plants struggling to bloom in arid conditions. Whereas our former caregiver had protected us from stormy weather and had tried to give us extra watering as needed, we have ...

My favourite blue Pyrex bowl was hot out of the microwave and sitting in the sink to cool. I had already dumped out the meatloaf on to a plate and was now trying to lift a small glass out of the centre of the meat. It suddenly slipped from the tongs I was using and fell into the sink faster than I expected. Sharp shards of glass bowl fractured and flew within the confines of the sink while the small glass remained intact. As I stood there in silence surveying the damage, I realized that the bowl was designed to handle the stress of heat. It probably could have also withstood the stress of impact. What it could not absorb was the combined stress of heat and impact all at once. What if there would have been water in the sink to help absorb the shock and stress? Would water have provided enough of a cushion to keep the bowl together so it could still be useful? When I have stress at work, I come home to peace and renewal. When I have stress at home, it is sometimes nice to go to work...