What Weeds Can Teach Us About Survival in The New Year

When life covers your world with asphalt...

This year both Hanukkah and Christmas seemed to arrive quickly. Not being totally prepared is a little stressful. Both holidays demand introspection. This year there didn't seem to be any time for that kind of deep thinking.

However, it pays to look down! My regular walk happens to take me across a parking lot. As I looked down I noticed the weeds poking up through a crack in the pavement. At the same time, I found myself musing on the meaning of Hanukkah. As far as I know, it's really a kind of historical/religious holiday for Jewish people, celebrating a long ago military and religious victory. Moreover, it's a celebration of the seemingly impossible-the stretching of a supply of oil meant for only one day that miraculously lasts for eight days. Where could such an archaic series of events intersect with our current modern day life?

As I looked around myself and then down again at the pavement, it occurred to me that these weeds poking up through the cracks were emblematic of what the holidays are about: celebration of new life in light of often difficult circumstances. It's the perseverance of the human spirit in times of darkness, only personified in the form of small green shoots doggedly poking their way up through a crack in the asphalt. What better to symbolize the miracle of both Christmas and Hanukkah. 

As we face the New Year, which to many of us presents the seemingly impossible, remember the weeds! It sounds simplistic I know but follow their lead: find a way  to thrive even if you face the impossible.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

Libby