“A strong wind may topple the sturdy oak, but the willow bends and lets the wind pass through.”
Life sends plenty our way; a belligerent person, hardships, changes. To stand like an oak tree and hold your ground gets rewarded in society. Glorified even. Over time, these oak trees get brittle, and when their brute force wanes, their egos suffer. The tough oak breaks. They are too rigid to bend.
The willow trees among us sway when hardships appear. Being a willow doesn’t mean you have no boundaries or that you can’t advocate for your needs and wants. And it certainly doesn’t mean you have to tolerate. A willow tree isn’t a doormat. There is a quiet strength and a calm courage about the willows. The harder the wind blows and the more they bend, the stronger they seem to bounce back.
My book, “Our Essence Survives,” is about the strength and courage of the Germans from Romania. My ancestors had the strength, courage and determination of a willow tree. A resilience passed down for generations.
Bending like a willow is NOT passive. It is not a weakness. It’s a mindful decision to let the storm buffet, and even tear off some branches. But you can stay rooted strong like a willow, with watering from your support network, your self-care, your personal spirituality. It’s putting up with all storms, knowing that it’s temporary.
Katherine Murie Webster 