All shall be well…
one way or another
The rose is such a special flower - I sort of imagine roses as poets who are able to hold and express so much beauty and fragility at once. And it is a special flower in our Gratitude Blooming card deck too because it is the only one that appears multiple times - in our case, THREE times! At one time, we named the three roses by the seasons. This vulnerability rose was our winter rose because it felt like it had finished blooming and was ready to rest like we do in the wintertime.
All the roses on our bush were losing their petals when I drew this flower and as the petals were falling to the earth, I felt this overwhelming emotion that made me recall these lines from a T.S. Eliot poem called Little Gidding (part of his longer poem called the Four Quartets).
“And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flames are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.”
I later discovered that T.S. Eliot borrowed the lines “All shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well” from a 14th century mystic named Julian of Norwich, who had visions of Jesus and Mother Mary and captured her experience of them in her writings called Revelations of Divine Love.
And I really felt I heard this rose say these words while I drew it: Even though I’m losing my petals, you do know that ALL SHALL BE WELL, right?
And I did know. Whatever we are going through, big or small, we WILL be ok though we may need to shed our beliefs and stories to strip down to the core knowing of the sacredness and “ok-ness” that is within each of us. And that’s sort of what this rose seemed to want to convey about vulnerability that day - that it requires a shedding of our protective outer edges with the trust that at our core, we are each precious just the way we really are. And whatever it is that makes you feel vulnerable, especially when it comes from your heart, will be ok, it all shall be well.
TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE THEME
EPISODE 20 - SEASON 1
We hear the artist Arlene Kim Suda share how the rose she illustrated spoke to her like a poet. Vulnerability is an opportunity to experience both joy and pain. To be fully alive, we have to make room for both. Or as Kahlil Gibran reminds us, “The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose.”
EPISODE 25 - SEASON 2
This week, we explore the theme of vulnerability represented by the winter rose with zazen practitioner Angela Oh. She invites us to imagine vulnerability as choosing the unknown, even if it’s scary. Being vulnerable means walking hand-in-hand with courage.
EPISODE 49 - SEASON 3
Ever sailed the tumultuous river of life transition, armed with nothing but hope and gratitude? Welcome to the journey of our guest, Charlie Koch, who transforms his life's transitions into opportunities of growth and awakening. Through his weekly family meetings, Charlie discovered the power of Gratitude Blooming, a practice that not only helped him navigate through life's ups and downs but also laid the foundation for an active, empowering life. Harnessing the power of gratitude, Charlie shares how he found a way to explain infinite possibility to a 6-year-old and illustrates the flow of time and possibilities using a riveting river metaphor.
EPISODE 66 - SEASON 3
Embark on a transformative exploration with us as we reflect on a profound year investigating the intersection of empathy and democracy through our collaboration with the Japanese American National Museum.
Our special Democracy Center guests, Jim Herr and Sofia Alvarez share their expertise on the tangible dynamics of holding space. Join us for a heartfelt synthesis of growth, challenge, and understanding, where every voice in the chorus of life is valued, and every moment of silence is powerful.
Vulnerability is one of the 39 Gratitude Blooming themes that we explore to help our community keep gratitude front of mind.
Explore all themes
