Like everyone I’d rather not experience the undercurrents of life, but the challenge is not to shun them, but to accept that over a lifetime will have our share of them. Avoiding the difficult aspects of living only stunts our fullness. When we do this we are like a tree that never fully opens to the sky. And dwelling on our difficulties only prevents them from going on their way. When we do this, we are like a great tree that nets the storm in its leaves. The storm by its nature wants to move on and the trees’ grace is that it has no hands. Our blessing and curse is to learn and relearn when to reach and to hold, and when to put our hands in our pockets.

Mark Nepo, The Book Of Awakening