
PART 2 ARTICLE 5 AUDIO FILE IN FOOTER ♫
Just look at that rose! This photo was taken in early December after enduring four frosts, a few wintry, wind-driven rainstorms, and a full year of breathtaking beauty through spring, summer, and fall. Of the hundreds that grace my tiny yard each year, she was the only one to survive.
Today, December 15, she’s still in bloom. Perhaps she’s a little worse for the wear, but she’s squeezing out every bit of life she can. I doubt she’d complain about her wrinkles or drooping petals, even if she could. Instead, I imagine she’d revel in her persistent pinkness and proudly display the diamond-like ice crystals that elegantly adorn her enduring existence. The same ice crystals that signaled the end of her less resilient sisters have become her resplendent crown.
Please magnify this image to appreciate the complex beauty that often goes unnoticed. How much we miss every single day! But the real tragedy would be to miss the lesson she has to teach.
As I write about Healing Beyond Western Medicine, resilience stands out as the most important quality a person can possess. It’s the ability to bounce back, no matter what has happened. This quality assumes a baseline of well-being that assures you that, no matter what, you will survive. Resilience requires the strength to face grief head-on, knowing that running away will only make things worse in the long run, often leading to depression and physical health issues. But the real magic lies in what my rose demonstrates so beautifully: the willingness to transform hardship into something that benefits the whole world.
At the end of her life, this rose is draped in a coat of diamond-like crystals — the very same crystals that could have destroyed her. She shows us what is possible: even the things that threaten to destroy us can become massive opportunities for growth. As much as we wish to avoid them, the bad times push us deeply inward — the only place where inner peace, healing, and true beauty can be found.
Many assume that resilience is something you’re either born with or not. While optimistic people may find this concept easier to grasp, the truth is that resilience is available to anyone willing to work for it.
Coming from me, you know that “work” means inner work. By taking the time to stop, breathe, and reflect quietly on your life as it is, you can develop emotional stability, calmness, flexibility, and, most importantly, acceptance; acceptance of life just as it is — not as you wish it would be.

The peace this acceptance brings diminishes physical symptoms and gives you a level of joy and contentment that you might never have known otherwise.
Nurturing relationships with people who understand and support your growth is crucial. People who stand by you and love you no matter what are among the greatest gifts you will ever receive. And you could never give someone else anything more precious than your heartfelt presence.
Taking the time to focus on all you have to be grateful for changes everything. You and your life become what you focus on; it really is that simple.

I almost hate to say this, but the more experience you have with adversity, the more opportunities you will have to make resilience a vital part of your being. Having said that, I’d be perfectly happy if the rest of my life were all unicorns and rainbows! Realistically, I know many more difficult lessons will come as I age. Luckily, there’s still room for more diamond crystals on my coat!