Life is Constantly Changing by Barry Hughes

I pass two houses on my walk each day that have a cactus in their landscaping. It always strikes me as a profound juxtaposition to have a cactus bordered by such a lush, thick carpet of green grass. In my mind, one would expect to see the cactus in a harsh, arid landscape. Seeing it like this always catches my attention.

It seems to me that this picture serves as a helpful image for the varied experiences of our everyday lives, especially in these strange and difficult days. The sharp contrast of the cactus and the lawn seems bizarre and dream-like. How can these two go together?

The same is true for the way we may experience joy in the midst of such hard times, or health while so many around us are ill. For some, the timing of the pandemic has disrupted the celebrations of graduations and retirements and new beginnings. At the same time, it has provided extra space for some to reconnect and to strengthen bonds of family and friendship. In some wonderful moments, we can find ourselves at peace as the chaos of the world swirls around us. How can all these widely varied experiences be happening at the same time? I suppose that is just life.

Like the cactus and the lawn, our life experiences do not always fall into neat categories or stay inside the lines. The good and the bad coexist, even within our own hearts. Great joy and heartbreaking sorrow bump into each other far too often. Love and loneliness can move seamlessly in and out of our lives at any given moment. Life is constantly changing. We must remember that each day holds wondrous possibilities for blessing. We must remember that each day holds out the hope of an end to our pain and struggle. Life is constantly changing. So we walk on.

Peace.