A take on the reed plant

Relationships.

What are they? Counts marked by chalk sticks on an empty slate? Lint that we dig out from the depths of our finite end of the pocket of our trousers? How do we handle them? Do we continue to make them? Break them? Work on them? Do we seek for new ones?

These are questions that need to be introspected within us. A survey. A “Googled” introspect, if I may.

Relationships are an important facet that comes along with this life that we lead. We need to check the “fine print”. They start from the very time a mother lays her eyes on the life that she has been caring for, for the stipulated nine months. Right from that inconspicuous sparkle that glistens from the child’s eyes, the parent see the alluring grandeur in their child and “voila!” there is a conduit that is knitted between the parent and the child.

As the gradual cycle of life carries us ahead, relationships are built. Be they for a second (bumping into a cashier on the sandwich retailer, Subway: “Eat Fresh”) or for a time that cements for the rest of your life (with the one who calls you “Pookie” or “Cupcake”. Apologies for the cheesiness but that is how the world operates.) This then comes to the point of whether we treasure them or look at them as baggage that we burden around.

I remember my grand uncle telling me that relationships are like prayers. To elucidate on this, he brought out an anecdote. Once, he said was a huge bell that was built for the city tower in a small county. As the builders tried to lift this tonne of a bell to fit it into the city tower, the ropes that were holding the weight snapped and the prized bell fell straight into the city lake over which the bell was carried across. With the lack of facilities to retrieve the lost possession, the citizens mourned over their asset because each had sacrificed a huge deal of their own pittance to build the bell. The submerged bell was forgotten. It became an old wife’s tale. However, as time went by, small insignificant reeds started growing on the surface of the underwater bell. As these reeds started growing on the surface area of the bell, the buoyancy of the reeds (a facet of the reed plant) started to lift the bell upwards. With their roots intertwined firmly onto the bell, the reeds carried the bell though heavy in its stature over the water. To cut a long story short, the citizens noticed the “reed miracle”, rejoiced over the divine turn of events and thus, had the bell handed back or “reeded” to them and to the city.

Well, prayers and relationships are the same as a reed plant. They may seem insignificant and small. The “No-good-can-ever-come-from-them” premise batters our judgments. However, when the burdens are stacked and your head and reasoning has burnt out the last tip of the wick, people and prayer become the solace and peace of mind that we were looking for all along.

It relies on our conscience and belief to either, flick away a relationship and dwindle it. Or take it and through the perseverance, work on it and make it sturdy.

“Hah! Easier said than done” is a welcome response but I dare you to grab on to perseverance, endurance and work on the relationship given to you on your platter.