A Desert By Another Name

It is Sunday, time to relax, review the past week, take the good and leave the past behind after learning from the lessons it taught of course. Mine for the week was, LET IT BE.

As I looked at my messages, a picture popped onto the screen. It caught my attention because it was absolutely gorgeous. I stared at it for a few minutes and decided to go on my fact finding mission.

The picture was of the Atacama Desert sent to me by a Chilean friend. Little did he know that I would be awe-struck by it. I found out that it is located in the north of Chile. It is nothing much to look at during the arid period because it is considered hostile territory and touted as one of the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Detecting life there would be like detecting life on Mars because only the hardiest microbes survive there. Oh but what a transformation when the rains come. The Atacama desert flowering takes place from September to November which is the Southern Hemisphere’s spring. It is considered a miracle and it occurs when heavy rainfall saturates the ground causing the seeds and bulbs deep within the surface to germinate and flower. During this time, over 200 flower species can be seen waving their beautiful heads and covering the once arid landscape with color and stunning beauty. Unbelievable? It is.

What if life was like this phenomenon? Just like this desert, there are times when we go through dry patches and at times arid ones. It is a time when nothing seems to flourish no matter how hard you try. Then there are times when the rains come and with the watering we see life as it was meant to be. Full of beauty, joy and at times breath-taking. It does not last for long but then again nothing ever stands still in life right? Like the seasons, there is a time for everything so it is with the desert and with us. Keep moving is the message, work on the hard stuff and who knows just when you thought it was impossible, the rains will come and reward you with a desert blooming of your own! Never say never and anything is possible. 

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” Robert Frost

Have an amazing day.