20. Finding Sweetness in Bitterness

Nature :: Spirit — Kinship in a living world

A Sufi teacher long ago told me, “In life, there is always sweetness and bitterness. Every sweetness holds a bitterness, and every bitterness holds a sweetness. Find the sweetness in the bitterness.” Amid bitter events of the past year—and the current week—we dig for pockets of sweetness. We find sweetness in people’s determination to keep working for equality and justice, even when they feel ground down and weary. And we find sweetness in the natural world, where Life keeps regenerating and experimenting and oozing more life. Especially during environmental crisis, it is crucial not to give in to despair—it will sap our will for change—but to keep seeking and finding consolation in nature. Some ideas for connecting with the animal and plant relatives nearby, even in winter, and for keeping the soul fed with wonder, awe, and reverence.

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