Rebirth: Seeing Our Potential
05.23.23 | 55105
For reflection:
Where are you rejuvenated?
Where do you find it difficult to find new energy? What do you associate with those places that might contribute to that difficulty?
How does feeling renewed and rejuvenated help you reframe and redefine your values?
When have you come alive again, after a period of lethargy or lack of inspiration? What other aspects of your life were at play at that moment?
In April, Dominic and I took our second trip to the beautiful northern Minnesota town of Ely. In this time of year, the town is in its off season. In just a few weeks, school will end and parents will begin bringing their families to the north shore for vacation. But in April, the town of ~3000 is still quiet.
We have only ever been to Ely in the off season - once in the fall, and once in the spring. On this trip, piles of snow remained on the side of the road and covered the walking path around the lake. But that was okay. The remaining snow allowed us to experience the beauty of waking up to fresh, crisp air - something I personally think is an underrated part of the coming of spring and summer.
In Ely, there’s not a lot to do. Shops are mostly closed for the winter, and there aren’t many restaurants to enjoy. But what is available truly showcases Ely’s northern MN character. As you come into town, the main street (with its two stop lights) goes directly uphill. Along both sides are souvenir shops for the tourists in the summer, a movie theater, a coffee shop, and a couple of pubs. Beyond that, you really ought to spend your time outdoors.
And you do - on the day we were in Ely all day, Dominic and I walked over 10,000 steps - and then another 8,000 on a second walk of the day - because why not? These walks define our trip in my memory: I see the small waterfall which feeds into Miner’s Lake, and I see the lookout point at the west end of that beautiful body of water. I see the abandoned mine and its equipment, waiting for some group of bored teenagers to come past and mark it up. I see the deer that awake from their slumber as we wander by, suddenly startled by the presence of other beings. These pictures in my mind are more present than any view of the road or taste of food in a restaurant (although those are memorable, too).
It is in these details that I see the “before”... I see the potential for new life, waiting just below the snow. I see the green waiting to burst forth, and I see the birds waiting to lay their eggs. It is all here, if you look for it.
I wonder how we choose to see the world through the winter. When we look outside, do we see the world as run-down, as dead? Do we see the brown and cold and think there will never be anything else? It feels like it sometimes. But what if, instead, we were able to see the potential that is always there - the potential for new growth, for rebirth, just beneath the ground? What would we see? And, further: what inspiration might this bring for our expectations for our lives? How would we change? How would our view of ourselves, and of others, change - if we could see the potential for rebirth that exists within? If we could see the potential that comes with rest, and with time?
Until next time, friends.