Worm Wisdom
The other day out on my walk it was raining quite hard, even with a bit of snow. As the rain came down so too did the worms come out! As I made my way back home on the sidewalk I dodged the worms that riddled the pavement. The next day the sun came out and as I walked the same route I found many of those worms dry, shriveled up, and baked on the pavement under the hot sun. I remembered from my childhood a number of theories as to why worms venture out in a rain risking life and segment only to end in their demise. One of those theories is that after a rain the soil pores and the worm burrows fill with water. The worms can’t get enough oxygen when the soil is flooded, so they come to the surface to breathe. Another theory is that they take advantage of the wetness to migrate. They need the wetness to move across barriers which is what the rain provides for them. The rain provides a slick runway for them. Another is that the pounding of the rain hitting the soil makes worms think predators are approaching so they venture out to escape danger. Whatever the reason, the worms that have the greatest chance of survival are those that hold strong with their tail anchored in the safety of their hole so that can quickly slip back into their hole when needed. Got me thinking…. Covid has wreaked a lot of havoc on the world. And has pushed many of us to the limit of what we thought we could handle within a year and a half full of continual hurdles, bumps, challenges, and disappointments. In order to navigate and survive through these difficulties of life we need to be a “smart worm”- hold on tight to your values, find friends that stand with you when things get dicey, dig deep, and stay anchored. The world can break us down and tempt us to stray out in the rain. But if we hold on the storm will pass and our strength will enable us to withstand the test and survive the rough patches. And just as an earthworm we will heal and regenerate any segments that were tossed about in the storm.
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